Welcome to your TS 75, 76, 85, and 86 class guide on researching environmental issues!

Here you will find some useful tips and resources to help you as you work on your assignment. 

Need a copy of our library session handout?

When you have a research assignment, always start early. It takes time to brainstorm a good topic, develop effective search words, and find reliable sources. Follow these steps:

1.  Brainstorm a topic. Narrow it down.

Usually we start with a large idea. Then we explore what mini topics are being talked about by other people, and decide on a smaller idea to focus on. If your research topic is too big, it may be difficult to summarize or write about! If your research topic is too small, it will be difficult to find information! That is why it is important to search all of the different topics inside of your big topic first. 

2. Develop good search words.

Once you have a clear idea of your topic, you want to have a list of search words to try in different places. You can try the same words in different databases or websites and you will get very different results! That is why it is important to try the same words in different places. Then, change your search words slowly and patiently.

3. Search many different places.

Don't stick to one website or database. Every resource will have different kinds of information! 

4. As you are finding information, always evaluate. Is it a reputable source?

Remember to check your source before including it in your assignment. You especially want to check websites!

Four questions you can always ask yourself when you find a possible source are:

1. WHAT TYPE of source is it? -- Reference article? Website? Blog? Newspaper article? Etc.?
2. WHO wrote the source?
3. WHEN was the source written?
4. WHY was this source written?