Think about the type of information you need? Do you want -
History & overview - books, encyclopedias, archival materials
Scholarly & academic - peer-reviewed journal articles, theses & dissertations, conference proceedings
Technical data - specifiations, standards, buidling codes, patents, datasets
Government data or statistics- municipal codes, federal & local government data
Before you begin your search, it helps to understand when & how information is published
| Timeline | Where reported/published |
| Day of event | Internet, Television, Radio |
| Next day of event | Newspapers |
| Several weeks later | Magazines/Trade Journals |
| 6 months - 1 year | Scholarly Journals |
| 1 - 2 years later | Books, Government reports |
| Several years later | Theses/Dissertations, Bibliography |
First put your topic in "context" Where does it fit into the scheme of knowledge (Social Sciences, Humanities, Applied Sciences) What is the main subject area or discipline or is it mutidisplinary? See examples below.
TOPIC ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE TYPE OF INFORMATION
| Frank Lloyd Wright | Architecture | Images, Drawings, Books, Articles |
| Ergonomic chair | Industrial Design | Images, Design Sketches, Patents |
| Smart construction practices | Construction (Architecture) | BIM, Specs & Standards, Building Codes, Articles |
| Community playgrounds | Planning (Public Health/Architecture) | City codes, Drawings, Articles |
| Fun Theory (Space & behavior) | Psychology (ID/Architecture) | Images, Sketches/Drawings, Articles |
| Bicycle networks | Planning (Architecture) | City codes, Transportation plans, GIS/Maps |
| Presidential election trends | Political Science | Government Info, Datasets, Think Tank Reports |
| Car engine design | Mechanical Engineering | Patents, Specs/Standards, Drawings |
| Jane Austen | Literature | Archival Materials, Books, Articles |
| Business cycle | Economics | Datasets, Government Info, Articles |