Research Process

	Browse Sources
	What sources are available? Below is a list of some of the places you should look for information. Different projects will demand different sources, but as a general rule the categories listed first are the most reliable and should be consulted first.

	Reference materials Encyclopedias Online encyclopedias: Brittannica http://school.eb.com/ World Book http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Home Specialized Encyclopedias Encyclopedia of American History

	HELPFUL HINT: Advantages of Reference Materials: Very reliable and excellent background information. Disadvantages of Reference Materials: May not have a great deal of information on ...

	Books Use the Alexandria Catalog to search for books using a variety of keywords. Create a bibliography and print. Click here for more information on this process. Browse. Look on the shelf using the call numbers provided by Alexandria Other sources: Try local libraries using links listed in the library website. Click here. Advanced students can visit college libraries or the Library of Congress for specific books. A bookseller like Amazon.com has access to many books and might be an option for a long term project.

	HELPFUL HINT: Advantages of Books: Sources are reliable and may have a great deal of information on a specific topic. Disadvantages of Books: Books will not have recent information. The Arundel collection focuses on topics that have been used in past. The collection may not have information on some new or unique topics.

	Databases

	HELPFUL HINT: Bibliography and Works Cited sections of articles found in the databases are good places to find further information on a topic.

	Using search engines There are many search engines available to assist you in your research. Google should not be your first and only stop in your quest for information... Click here for more information on using Google more effectively.

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