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GEN: Research Process

Topic Guide

Where Do I Start?

The best place to start is with Reference Sources
  • Get an overview of the broader topic
  • Identify sub-topics for narrowing a topic
  • Highlight keywords (people, places, events, dates) - these can be used for searches
  • Take note of References and citations that follow offer an early idea of source availability for a topic

Recommended databases to start your research

Can I use Wikipedia?

Yes...BUT...

The Good The Sketchy
Well organized overview (broken up into easy-to-read chunks) Anyone can edit the information
Citations and resources at the bottom of the page Information must be verified with other, authoratative sources
  You can't use background sources in your citations.