Conducting a Research Report - continued

2. Gather Information

Before you begin looking for information, ask yourself these questions:

"What do I know?"

Ask:	What do I know about this topic before I look anything up?
	List that information in your notebook. There! You have already begun your research.

"What do I want to know?"

Ask:	What information do I want to find out about the topic?
	List any questions you have about it.
	Remember - the more general your questions, the higher the chance that you will be overwhelmed with information when you begin to do research. Make them as specific as possible.

"How am I going to find out?"

Break down the process into stages:

• Look at print resouces and non-print resources.
• Balance the use of primary and secondary resources (this means first hand and second hand information).
• Take detailed notes from resources.
• Collect bibliographic information from sources.
• Critically analyze sources for quality of material. (Use your critical reading skills)
• Organize and condense notes into a manageable form.