Research 101

Conducting research can be a stressful undertaking for even the most seasoned researchers. Therefore, a good first step is to plan your research strategies beforehand. 

Create a Plan

1. A good way of tracking your progress and staying ahead of deadlines is by creating a Research timeline that will allow you to separate your research into manageable segments. 
2. Write down your goals and objectives. Researchers have to evaluate hundreds of resources; having a clear sense of your goals and objectives can help you determine how/if a resource fits into your research.
3. Develop search strategies to shorten your "time to find". Keeping track of keywords and subjects that are being used most frequently will improve the accuracy of your searches. Furthermore, develop a working knowledge of advanced search techniques to focus your searches.
4. Search for background information about your topic. Reference sources, such as: encyclopedias, dictionaries, and bibliographic databases, are great research starters. Use reference sources and databases to construct a working knowledge of your topic. Once you have located enough background information, you can focus your topic.