Step 1. Determine what types of resources you need.
Do you need books? Do you need websites? Do you need scholarly journals or magazine articles? Before you begin, ask your professor or look carefully at the assignment to determine which types of resources you're looking for. If you need a broad, general background on a topic, such as a history of the Civil War, you'll probably need a book. If you need resources for a specific topic such as the positive impact of funding for music education programs, you may want a book or a journal article. When in doubt ask a librarian!

Step 2. Think about your search terms.
Identify the major terms from your research project. Then, think of alternate terms. If you want to compare the experience of students taking college courses on a campus with those taking them online, you'll need to use terms like "distance education", "college", "online" or "electronic". Different combinations of these terms may be necessary to locate resources. Remember, it's how books and journals refer to a topic that will determine your success NOT how you refer to your topic.

Step 3. Ask questions and be patient.
APPLY: "The Five Minute Frustration Rule". If you've been trying an approach for five minutes, and it's not working, it's time to change your approach or ask for help! Remember, just because you're interested in the effects of feminism in Israel doesn't always mean that a book called "The Effects of Feminism in Israel" is waiting on the shelf for you.