Presearch starts with what you know...
Gather what you know about your topic, but don't rely on it yet. 
- Books
- Web pages
- Magazine articles
- Textbooks
- What your Mom told you
Bring them along, We have to figure out if they are any good.
Background Information
Start with sources you know
-- such as Wikipedia or Google. Look for background information, and track additional words to use when you search other places.
(But remember, you cannot use Wikipedia as a source in college papers.)
Next stop: subject-specific encyclopedias
What kind of encyclopedia might have info on my topic?
My Topic |
This Sort of Encyclopedia |
|---|---|
| Montessori Schooling | Encyclopedia of Education |
| The Republican Party | Political Science Encyclopedia |
| Isadora Duncan | Biographies of Women in Dance |
I can find these by searching ALICE like this:
- [my topic]
- AND encyclop*
Here's an example:
Gives me this list of 12 encyclopedias on sport topics, including:
The Encyclopedia of American Soccer History by Call Number: Alden 6th floor GV944.U6 A44 2001ISBN: 0810839806Publication Date: 2001I can then go to the library, find this book, and search its Table of Contents or Index for an article that interests me.
