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Research Process: A Step-by-Step Guide: Step 2: Locate Information

This guide will help you understand the research process that you need to go through for your assignments.

Steps to Locating Information

Research typically involves using a variety of sources including:

  • encyclopedias and dictionaries,
  • books,
  • videos,
  • articles from newspapers, magazines and journals,
  • statistical sources, and
  • websites.

To create the most effective and efficient searches, use the search strategies listed under Step 2: Locate Information.

Seek

Collect

A great beginning step in the research process is to gather background information. Use specialty encyclopedias, ebooks and other reference sources to find out the history, background and current status of a topic. These sources will also give you some ideas for keywords to search with.