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IDST110 Fall 2021 (Anderson)

Before You Start...

Student sitting at desk thinking

Take a few moments to actually sit down and spend time thinking and writing about your topic.

Ask yourself questions like:

  • What do I already know about this topic?
  • What don't I know?
  • What do I assume?
  • What questions do I want to answer?
  • What do I want to say?

Once you've done that, go back and review what you've written and look for keywords, ideas, and themes to help start your searching.

How to Use This Guide

Use the menu to navigate to resources to help you with your research for your IDST text set. Although the library has a ton of great resources to choose from, your librarian has chosen a selection of the best tools they think are appropriate for your paper. this includes library databases, resources for books and ebooks, reference books for background information and support, and other resources they think might be useful. You will also find Evaluation resources.

If you need help at any point, you can chat with a CSM Librarian, reach out to your IDST librarian for help, or schedule an appointment with any of our qualified CSM librarians.

Make a Research Roadmap

  1. Brainstorm
    • Think about topics, make notes, look for recurring themes, look for what interests you. Write it all down.
  2. Outline
    • Sketch out an outline of what you hope to say and find. What major points do you want to touch on? Write it down.
  3. Points of Entry
    • Think about where this information exists. Who is creating it? How are people talking about your topic? Where can you find it? Write it down.
  4. Select Your Tools
    • Go to the tools you think are best suited for what you need and start searching.
  5. Persevere
    • Don't be discouraged if you have to rewrite things, change your outline, or adjust your topic. It's all part of the research process.
  6. Present
    • Gather and organize your resources and go to work!