Now that you have a research question and related keywords, what kind of information will you need to find?

The information and sources you use will depend on the nature of your research question. What information is most relevant, or related to your topic, and where can it be found? Your professor might also require certain types of sources, such as peer-reviewed articles. Peer review is a process of evaluation by experts in a field to determine if a paper should be revised or published.

Useful information can be found in a wide variety of sources. In order to know where to look, it might be helpful to think of information as a spectrum.

The x-axis ranges from traditional to emerging information, and refers to how information is published and produced.

Publication and production questions:

Is the source in print, or can it be accessed online?
Are there guidelines or restrictions for what information is published?
Who publishes it and who is accountable for it?
Has it been edited, or gone through a like process of peer-review?

The y-axis ranges from public to specialized information, and refers to the information's intended audience.

Audience questions:

What kind of language does the source use? Can it be understood by the average person, or does it require in-depth knowledge of a subject?
Is the information freely available, or is the information valuable and only available through a subscription or library database?

For Your Topic

Do you need general or specialized information? Recent or more historical information? Does the information change quickly through online platforms or has it stayed the same over time? Ask yourself these questions when looking for information sources that address your research question.

When it comes to finding specialized information such as peer-reviewed/scholarly articles, encyclopedias, and scholarly books, Library resources are most helpful.