In this section you've:

1. Thought of a great topic,
2. Identified potential resources to investigate, and
3. Brainstormed keywords.

Your next step is to use research tools to discover the resources that you need. These tools may include the Library catalog to direct you to books, journals or DVDs on your topic, and the Library databases, which allow you to find specific articles in electronic or print journals.

Remember:

You cannot press one or two buttons and find all the information necessary for a well-conceptualized research paper. Research is a process. It involves thinking, selecting a search tool, searching, thinking, and evaluating and refining that search, and searching again before you find everything you need.

In the next two sections of the tutorial, we'll look at specific search systems that can connect you to the books and articles that you need to support your research.