Preparing for a Research Project

15c Plan your research.

Once you have formulated a hypothesis, determine what you already know about your topic. Tap your memory for sources by listing everything you can remember about where you learned about your topic: the Internet, text messages, books, magazines, courses, conversations, television. What you know comes from somewhere, and that somewhere can serve as a starting point for your research. (See Chapter 6 for more strategies for exploring ideas and getting your initial thoughts about a topic down on paper.)

Next, develop a research plan by answering the following questions:

What kinds of sources (books, journal articles, databases, Web sites, government documents, reference works, and so on) will you need to consult (16a)? How many sources should you consult?
How current do your sources need to be? For topical issues, especially those related to science, current sources are usually most important. For historical subjects, older sources may offer the best information.
How can you determine the location and availability of the kinds of sources you need?

One goal of your research plan is to build a strong working bibliography (17b). Carrying out systematic research and keeping careful notes on your sources will make developing your works-cited list or bibliography easier.