ENG 101 MCTC Library Research Strategy

In this step of the research strategy, do some general searching to discover how much information is available. 

While the topic may be a very interesting and worthwhile subject, you need to know there is enough information to complete your research project. Some topics may not lend themselves to a lot of available information.

The first place students think to go to is the Internet. While that can be a very useful place to do general searching, find other keywords that relate to the topic, and possibly discover an idea of different perspectives, it is not the best place to do all of your research for a college paper. Beware: Not all information you find on the web is reliable or credible.

Instead, consider these places:

1. Your textbook.  Locate your topic in the index. There may be information included in your textbook that you can use.

2. The library webpage, you have these two options:

• Use the search box at the top.  Locate books, articles, or videos.

• From the library Resources page select an individual online source (or database) to find credible information. On the Resources page, there is a list for "Great Starts for General Research". Those are suggested databases where you can begin your searching and find out if there is a lot of information on your topic. Great quick start resources!

Click on the blue button to view the video. You may need to scroll over the video to see the controls and unmute the sound.

When the video clip has stopped playing, click the Close link in the top right corner of the box.

Click on the blue button to view the video. You may need to scroll over the video to see the controls and unmute the sound.

When the video clip has stopped playing, click the Close link in the top right corner of the box.

As you begin gathering basic information about your topic, the best sources to consult are general online "trusted" reference sources provided by the library.  Search one of these for your topic background information.