Starting Your Research

To determine if a source will be useful for your research, consider what you need the information for, and how much information you need.

HOW MUCH INFORMATION DO YOU NEED?
BACKGROUND information A brief overview that introduces a topic	GENERAL ENCYCLOPEDIAS
IN-DEPTH information Credible research from multiple sources	DATABASES, SUBJECT ENCYCLOPEDIAS, & WEB SOURCES
SINGLE FACT An answer or response to a factual question	REFERENCE TITLES (print or online)