First consider the length of your paper or report and how much time you have to complete it.  Choose a topic that is interesting to you, and on which you can find quality sources, or which highlights a gap in the literature. Ideas can come from course readings, news, podcasts, scholarly journals, or social media.

Get Background Information

Textbooks and reference sources like encyclopedias provide background information to help you define your subject and identify key issues, vocabulary, and themes. Find background information in sources like Credo Reference, UpToDate, and ClinicalKey. You may find that you need to adjust your topic to make it more general or more specific based on the information you find.

Develop Your Research Question

Use the background information you’ve found to turn your topic into a specific and answerable research question. This will keep your literature search and assignment discussion focused. If your research is in healthcare, you may find the PICO format helpful.

Search library resources to find trustworthy sources and access our paid subscriptions. You may be able to use other sources, but will need to evaluate them carefully.

Search Strategy

Brainstorm keywords and develop a search strategy. For a well-rounded paper, seek out different perspectives on your topic and look for contrasting viewpoints or controversies. 

Where to Search

• Search library resources for journal articles, books, videos, reports, magazine and newspaper articles, and more.
• Research databases in your subject area or discipline will contain only results relevant to your topic and contain helpful filters. Use research by subject for recommended databases and other resources.
• Find primary sources in our archives and special collections. Learn more about using primary sources in your research.
• You can link Google Scholar to your UNE Access, but not all sources you find will be considered scholarly.

Using AI for Research

We have Consensus, an AI-powered search of peer-reviewed sources that provides links to the original research. When using any generative AI program for research, make sure you are able to find any cited sources to verify that they are real and accurately represent the information attributed to them.

Free Interlibrary Loan

If there is something you can’t access through our subscriptions or collections, request it for free through interlibrary loan. 

Evaluate your sources carefully and make sure that you are following instructions on the types of resources that are acceptable for your assignment. You may be asked to use only recently published scholarly or peer-reviewed sources, primary sources, or consider a specific level of evidence.

A citation manager can help you collect, organize and your sources, and generate reference lists in your paper. We have style guides to help you format citations.

UNE’s Student Academic Success Center (SASC) can help you with grammar, writing style, drafting, and revision.

If you have questions on this, or another topic, contact a librarian for help!