Skip to main contentA good way to scaffold your research is to begin with broader sources and then move to more narrow sources. This way, you'll be developing more expertise and understanding to help you sift through more narrow sources. (Research Pie!)
Why start with reference sources?
Reference sources like encyclopedias offer great overviews and are a good place to begin research.
How do I use books to research my topic?
Finding information in books is a vital part of the research process. Lengthy books can be daunting, though. Here are a few ways to tackle books to make them worth your while.
Articles come in many forms. Newspaper articles are often considered primary sources. Magazine and journal articles are typically secondary sources, and they are great to reference when you are researching.
It is best to wait to search for articles after you've done quite a bit of research on background information and in books. By now, you'll have a better idea of what you are looking for.