Once you've discovered the questions that need to be asked, you're ready to start looking for sources. The Web has made research much easier--and at the same time much more complex--than ever before. If you're not a savvy online researcher, you may spend hours wading through countless Web pages, only to find that they contain very little useful or reliable information about your topic. These suggestions will help you be an efficient and productive researcher.
Wouldn't it be great if someone had already searched the Web and made a list of links to the best sites on your topic? Well, guess what . . . someone has! In fact, several of these "starting points" are available to you.Subject Lists
To search a collection of resources for your specific discipline, check out the library's subject lists of online resources.
Online Encyclopedias
An encyclopedia is a great place to start any research project. Encyclopedic information tends to be general rather than specific, but it gives you a background or context in which to think about your topic. More importantly, an encyclopedia article usually concludes with a set of "related terms." Searching these terms will help you broaden your initial search. LeTourneau University students can access Encyclopedia Britannica online (available only from on-campus locations)--an excellent starting point for any most research projects. If you're not on campus, you can still access the scaled-down but still useful Web version of Britannica.
Starting your search with an online encyclopedia is an especially good idea for two reasons: (1) the "related terms" link directly to other articles, and (2) online encyclopedias usually include Web links. Encyclopedia editors have gone through a selection process of choosing some of the best and most reliable Websites to link from their articles, saving you the hassle of searching and sifting through hundreds (or thousands) of useless sites.
Once you've checked out these starting points, you'll be well on your way to an effective research project. Be sure to write down the "related terms" and use them as you search for additional information.