Gender Communication 

We often find ourselves with a need for more informaiton- to do research.  It can be as simple as checking a webpage or more complex with a need for scholarly material and sources.  Before you begin you need to find out what you need and what your professor wants you to find.  Is this research for your own knowledge or to validate your position?  Do you need statistics to prove a point or example of work to give you idea for your own work? 
Remember these critical steps:

• Review your assignment
• Ask your professor for clarification
• Ask the librarians for guidance
• Determine the way to get the best sources
• Don't be afraid to ask for help

Books still contain great information in them.  You may be able to find manuals, historical information, detailed biographies or criticism of someone's work or a specific genre.  Try these tools to find books:

Citing your sources is one of the most important steps in doing research.  RefWorks will allow you to store and organize your citations as well as easily create your annotated bibliography and final paper in APA style.