Once you have an overview of your topic, first think about what kinds of information you need. Do you need quotations, maps, diary entries, political cartoons, song lyrics, diagrams, narratives, statistics? Once you know the kinds of information you need, you can make a list of all the possible sources in which you think you can find that information.

These could include any of the following, or others:

Books Magazine Articles Newspaper Articles Maps or Atlases Expert people Site visits (to museums, etc.)

Television Shows Radio Shows Sound Recordings Video Recordings Electronic Databases Websites

Now star the sources on your list that you will most likely be able to use, given the time and
sources you have available. Give them a prioritized number order for which you will use first, which second... etc...

Once you do this, you are ready to start locating these sources.

Hint: Librarians are very useful at knowing which kinds of sources can be used to find certain types of information. Use their expertise. It will save you valuable time.