Research Strategy

"Maze Starts Here" by mikecogh is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

A basic research strategy follows these steps:

1. Gather background research

Start your research with reliable reference sources.

• General information / facts
• Subcategories
• Keywords / search terms 
• Vocabulary / terminology
• Arguments / issues

2. Develop & narrow your topic

• Create a mind map
• Ask questions about your topic
• Organize your question into search statements

3. Find research materials

Use this research to identify key terms and concepts to narrow your topic and search terms.

• Books, eBooks
• Articles
• Primary sources
• Research guides 

4. Evaluating and selecting sources

• Authority, accuracy, credibility
• Relevance
• Timeliness
• Perspective, bias
• Purpose
• Completeness

5. Complete your project

• Write your paper 
• Script your speech
• Create your digital presentation
• Cite your sources