1. Find the keywords (and related words) from your research question or research topic.
Example: How did the invention of the printing press affect the exchange of information in Europe?
Keywords: printing press, Europe, information exchange, invention
Related keywords: Gutenberg, moveable type, literacy, reading, books
2. Choose an information resource to search; this can be a library's catalog, a database, or another resource
Decide what information resource might be most useful; ask your teacher or a librarian for help
Check out the "About" page of online archives to figure out if it covers your topic.
3. Search the information resource you've chosen using the keywords you created in step one.
Try out different combinations of your keywords to see which bring back the best results for your research. Record what works best in your research journal.
4. Repeat until you've found all the information you need to answer your research question.
