When you search for information on a topic, save time and avoid frustration by planning a research strategy.

FIRST, DEVELOP YOUR TOPIC

Your must develop a focus or point of view. As well, your topic should not be too broad nor too narrow. If it's too broad, you won't be able to cope with time or length constraints. If it's too narrow or obscure, materials will be difficult or impossible to find. Try to state your topic as a question. Then, identify the main concepts or keywords.

Here's an example:

Pierre Elliot Trudeau	too broad
Pierre Elliot Trudeau's legacy and Canada's foreign policy	too broad
How did Trudeau shape Canada's foreign policy in the 1970's?	good choice
Trudeau's influence on Vancouver city government	too narrow

The key words are trudeau and foreign policy.

NEXT, CONSIDER THE KIND OF INFORMATION YOU'LL NEED

Will you need historical or current materials?
Should you consult primary sources?
Does your topic concern a particular geographic area or time period?
Should you include technical data or statistics?

HERE'S A BASIC RESEARCH STRATEGY, STEP-BY-STEP

Adapt this strategy to your needs. The time you spend on each step will vary according to your topic.

1. Find an overview
An overview or summary from a general source such as an encyclopedia, dictionary, or textbook provides background, definitions and key ideas. You can test your main concepts or keywords. If you haven't decided on a point of view, an overview will help you focus your research and provide a context. It often includes a list of books and articles for further reading.
Ask a librarian to help you find an encyclopedia, handbook or textbook.

2. Find books
Books are the most comprehensive and easiest to obtain sources of information. In the UBC Library Catalogue, look up any books cited in your overview. Then to find more, search by subject or keyword or choose Related Items. Also, browse on the bookshelves in relevant call number areas.

3. Find journal articles
Journal articles provide sharply focused information on recent events, discoveries or research. They do not provide background. Were any articles cited in your overview or in the books you've found? If not, or if you need more, look up your topic in an appropriate article index. Ask for help or see the publication on How to Find Articles.

4. Look for a bibliography, statistics, etc.
A bibliography is a published list of book and/or article citations. If it's "annotated", each book or article is summarized. The Library will not have a bibliography on every topic. But if you find one, you can see immediately how much information there is. Then use the UBC Library Catalogue to find out if the books and articles are available.

Other forms of information include statistics, government publications, pamphlets and much more. Ask for help.

5. Look for information on the World Wide Web
Use Internet search engines and subject directories to find materials on the Web. At the UBC Library Web main page, click on Internet Search.

YOU ALSO NEED TO EVALUATE YOUR SOURCES

What is the scope or content?	Is the discussion of your topic detailed and comprehensive? Does the work update other sources or add new information? Evaluate books by skimming prefaces, tables of contents and indexes. Evaluate articles by scanning them or reading abstracts (summaries).
Who is the intended audience?	Popular sources written for the general public oversimplify, provide only partial information, and generally do not include bibliographies (lists of sources cited). Scholarly sources are more challenging to read, but offer greater depth and detail. They also usually include footnotes or bibliographies.
Is the author an authority?	Try to learn something about him/her. What is the author's institutional affiliation or educational background?
Is it a scholarly press?	Some publishers, especially university presses, publish works appropriate for scholarly research while other publish popular works for the general public.
What is the date of your source?	The only useful sources on a topic that is new and changing rapidly are those just published. If you need an historical perspective, use older books and articles.

BE SURE TO KEEP A RECORD

Keep a detailed list of all sources you intend to use. You must cite them in your footnotes and bibliography.
For information see the page MLA Style: Getting Started.

BOOKS TO HELP YOU WRITE YOUR PAPER

• Berry, Ralph. The research project: how to write it.
  LB 2369 B38 2000 Koerner Library
  
  
• Buckley, Joanne. Fit to Print: the Canadian Student's Guide to Essay Writing.
  LB 2369 B83 1994 Koerner Library, Education Library

• Robertson, Hugh. The Research Essay: a Guide to Essays and Papers.
  LB 2369 R633 1995 Koerner Library, Education Library

There are many more. In the UBC Library Web Catalogue, search the subject: report writing.

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FOR YOUR INFORMATION