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Research & Writing Process

A walk-through on the entire research process. Includes tips and examples to help you decipher your assignment, make a research plan, choose a topic, find your sources, and write your papers.

Information Needs

Once you find a potential topic, you will want to determine the types of information required to meet your research needs.

  • Do you need primary or secondary sources, or a combination of both?
  • What are popular resources and are they appropriate to use in academic research?
  • Are you required to have peer-reviewed journal articles, or are scholarly articles sufficient?
  • Where is the best place to look for different types of information, from clinical studies to statistics?
  • How can ‘grey literature be useful?’
  • When should you consider searching outside the library’s databases for research resources?

Continue reading the information below and in the sub-pages to learn about different types of information, and when you should be using each type.

Where to Find Information

 

Or search a database directly