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The
Research
Process
7 Steps
The following seven steps outline a simple and effective strategy for finding
information for a research paper and documenting the sources you find.
Depending on your topic and your familiarity with the library, you may need to
rearrange or recycle these steps. Adapt this outline to your needs.
1. Identify & develop the topic
2. Find background information
3. Use catalogues to find books and media
4. Use indexes to find periodical articles
5. Find internet resources
6. Evaluate your findings
7. Cite your findings using a recognised style
For more help contact Study Skills Support: studyskills@bbk.ac.uk, 0207 631 6683
www.bbk.ac.uk/studyskills
located. If you have found too many or too few sources, you may need to narrow
or broaden your topic. Check with a reference librarian or your lecturer.
Research tips
Work from the general to the specific. Find background information first, then
use more specific and recent sources.
For more help contact Study Skills Support: studyskills@bbk.ac.uk, 0207 631 6683
www.bbk.ac.uk/studyskills
Record what you find and where you found it. Set up a system to record the
complete citation for each source you find; you may need it again later.
Translate your topic into the subject language of the indexes and catalogues you
use. Check your topic words against a thesaurus or subject heading list.
Need help clarifying your topic? Need ideas about where to look next? Want to
be sure you're using a reference source effectively? Ask a librarian.
Adapted with permission:
Reference Department
Collections, Reference, Instruction & Outreach (CRIO)
Cornell University Library
Ithaca, NY, USA
http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill1.htm
Links
British Library Public Catalogue http://catalogue.bl.uk/F/?
func=file&file_name=login-bl-list Lists over 13 million items in the
librarys collection.
Copac Academic & National Library Catalogue http://copac.ac.uk/ Gives
free access to the merged online catalogues of major University and
National Libraries in the UK and Ireland, including the British Library.
Birkbeck e-Library http://www.bbk.ac.uk/lib/elib/
Birkbeck Library Catalogue http://ipac.lib.bbk.ac.uk/#focus
London Public Libraries http://www.londonlibraries.org/servlets/libraries/public
Evaluating Web Pages
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evalu
ate.html University of California Berkeley Librarys tutorial to finding
and evaluating information on the internet, USA.
Internet Research Skills
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/education/008-3040-e.html
Library & Archives Canada Includes choosing the right tools for
searching the web and evaluating internet sources.
Library Research Roadmap http://www.library.yorku.ca/roadmap/
York University, Canada.
Evaluating Information Found on the Internet
http://www.library.jhu.edu/researchhelp/general/evaluating/
Johns Hopkins University Sheridan Libraries, USA.
For more help contact Study Skills Support: studyskills@bbk.ac.uk, 0207 631 6683
www.bbk.ac.uk/studyskills