Explore the topic

1. Create a plan to explore your topic
    list of people, questions, settings that you want to observe

2. Discuss topic with others

• Informal interviews, letters, email messages
• Web discussion forum or blog 

3. Conduct preliminary observations
4. Find and review sources

• Library's online catalog
• Library's selves
• Browse newsstands and bookstores
• Search available databases
• Follow the site to related sites

5. Skim your sources & mark, annotate, and take brief notes on your sources