Research Skills

Check our all-in-one file of research skills. Download [PDF]

Step 1

Evaluating Resources

Read assignment outline carefully & know what kinds of resources you need to find.

Step 2

Narrowing Topics

Do some background reading on your topic, so you know what your topic is about. Use textbooks, the internet, or the library search page to find contextual information. You may need to narrow your topic at this point.

Step 3

Creating Keywords

Make a list of keywords that relate to your topic.

Step 4

Building a Search Strategy

Go to the library website, and type in your search terms.

Step 5

Library Databases

Make sure you know how to limit your results, so that you see which articles will be the most useful for your topic.

Land Acknowledgement

Alexander College acknowledges that the land on which we usually gather is the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We are grateful to have the opportunity to work in this territory.