The steps below will help you complete your paper or assignment. Ask a librarian for help at any point in the process. A librarian is at the reference desk any hour the library is open. You can also contact the library by chat, email, and/or phone through the Contact Library page.
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Choose a topic.
Get ideas from your class discussions and lectures, reading assignments, your interests or life experiences. Get background information from your textbook, a general encyclopedia or a special encyclopedia.
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Create a search strategy.
Formulate a research question or thesis statement about the topic you want to research. Identify the main ideas in your question or statement. Think of other terms or synonyms. Use those terms with the terms and, or or not to focus in on what you need to find. And connects words that are different, or connects synonyms and not rejects words or concepts.
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Find information.
Search our WorldCat Discovery for resources like books, articles, videos, etc. offered by our library. Broad, general Databases like NC Live and Academic Search Complete for finding a wide range of information. There are also subject-specific Databases like CINAHL Complete (Health and Medical) and Business Sources Complete. Those are two examples the subject-specific databases that are available to you as a student. Check the Moye Library Databases page for a complete list of databases.
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Evaluate the information.
Consider if the material is accurate and correct, if the author is expert and trustworthy, if the audience it is written for is appropriate, if it is objectively written and if it is current or too old. Use our guide on Evaluating Web Site Content if you go to the general Web for information.
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Cite your sources.
Collect the information necessary to cite your sources when you get to the point of writing your paper.
