General Information

(Introductions, Summaries)

• Course Readings & Notes
• Encyclopedias
• Dictionaries

Conclusive Information
(Evidence, Arguments, Case Studies,
& Research Conclusions)

• Books / chapters with narrow focus
• Scholarly Articles
• Case Studies
• Clinical Research

• Books with broader focus
• Book Chapters
• Scholarly Articles

Getting Ready
to Search

 Exploratory
Searching

Focused Searching

Become Familiar
With the Topic

• Read to become familiar with your topic.
• Take notes for your own reference.
• Make a list of searchable  vocabulary.

Expand Your Knowledge
Of the Topic and Literature

• Read to learn more about your topic.
• Take notes for your research.
• Expand your list of searchable vocabulary and search for related books and articles.
• Consult bibliographies to find related books and articles.

Narrow Your Focus
& Draw Conclusions

• Read to narrow the scope of your topic and draw conclusions.
• Take notes for your research.
• Find specific evidence or arguments.
• Consider how different author's conclusions compare and contrast with each other. 

More Detailed Information
(Explanatory Information,
 Evidence, Arguments)