1. Choose a topic
2. Create a search strategy
3. Find information
4. Evaluate information
5. Cite your sources

1. Choose a topic

Based on information you get from your class assignment or research project, you’ll need to choose a topic. You can get ideas from:

• Your class discussions and lectures
• Your reading (in and out of class)
• Your interests and life experience
• Background information on people, issues, and events. You can find this information in:
  • Your textbook
  • General encyclopedias like the Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia
  • Our collections of online reference books:
  • Print encyclopedias or other reference books at the library:
    • Search our library catalog (AAU Online Public Access Catalog) by typing your subject followed by “encyclopedias.”

2. Create a search strategy

After a topic is chosen, you’ll need to form a search strategy. This step can help you effectively do your library research.

1. Formulate a search question or thesis statement based on the topic you select.
2. Identify the main ideas in the question or statement.
3. Brainstorm alternative terms or synonyms for your main ideas.
4. When searching, combine and use the best terms rather than typing in your original question or phrase

 Specific kinds of information

Does your assignment call for a specific kind of information? Use our institutional repository below to help you learn more and determine where to look.

Addis Ababa University Libraries Institutional Repository

3. Find information

The University Libraries provide a wide range of resources for your research.

Books

Articles

4. Evaluate information

After finding potential sources of information, you need to evaluate them to see if they are worthwhile for your research assignment. Consider the following:

• Accuracy: Is the information correct? Can you verify the facts somewhere else? Does the source cite other sources that you can check? Is the information supported by enough evidence?
• Authority: What are the credentials of the author, the publication? Are they an expert? Are they trustworthy?
• Audience: For what audience is the source intended? Is it at the appropriate level? Is it an academic or popular source? Can you understand it?
• Objectivity: Is the author impartial or is there evidence of bias? Does the author have a personal interest in the subject? Is the piece based on opinion or fact?
• Currency: When was the source published? Is it up-to-date? Is it too old?

It’s especially important to evaluate websites since anyone can publish information on the Web. Look for the following:

• Does the web page indicate when it was last updated?
• Do you know who wrote the page? Can you find any information out about this author?
• Does the page come from a reliable source (i.e. a major news site, the government, etc.)?
• Do the links on the page work or are they broken?
• Is there an “about” page that gives information about the organization providing the information?
• What is the domain of the URL? (.gov, .edu, .org, .com, etc.)

5. Cite your sources

In order to avoid plagiarism, you need to acknowledge use of another person’s work. This requires you to cite any sources you use in your assignment, paper, or project no matter what you use from that source: an original idea, a direct quote, research methods, or even innovative terminology.

Your professor will tell you which citation style to use, the most popular being American Psychological Association (APA), Modern Languages Association (MLA), and Chicago styles.