 
1. Do
Initial Planning
2. Choose
a Topic
3. Do
Initial Search
4. Refine
topic
5. Identify
key sources
6. Study
key sources
7. Integrate
8. Present
findings
Getting started
Managing
time
Real-world learning
References
|
Consider your assignment,
goals, and situation
The assignment
What does the assignment require you to do? If you aren’t sure, get
clarification.
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How much work will it require?
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When is it due?
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How much leeway does it give you in choosing a topic or approach?
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Will it help you achieve your goals?
If it would help to modify the assignment in some way, consider negotiating
with your instructor or employer.
Your goals
Think carefully about your goals before you decide to take on an assignment.
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Purpose -- what is your mission?
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Educational goals -- what do you wish to learn?
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Career goals -- what do you want to achieve in your career?
Your situation
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Are you prepared emotionally and intellectually for this assignment?
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Considering your other responsibilities, do you have time and energy to
do this assignment?
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Decision: Go ahead
with project?
Answer this question:
Do I really want to do this assignment?
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If the answer is no, explore your alternatives. Perhaps you need to negotiate
a different assignment, or drop your class. Good luck!
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If the answer is yes, you are in a good position to get started, because
you made a conscious decision to go forward.
“What if I’m not excited about this assignment, but it is required for
achieving a long-term goal I really want to accomplish?”
Consider the perspective of Victor Frankl (1984), who believed that
a person who has a meaningful purpose can cope with almost any situation.
Keep your eye on your long-term goal, and you can do whatever it takes
to get there.
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Create a project plan
A project plan can be very informal. The purpose is not to impress someone
else but to help yourself. By writing down some sort of plan, you give
yourself some guidelines.
It is usually impossible to anticipate all the tasks that will need
to be done or exactly how long they will take. But a plan helps you get
started.
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List all the tasks involved in your project
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Organize the tasks in sequence, and estimate the duration of each task
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Identify key milestones and dates for accomplishing them
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Devise a strategy for accessing and using information and other resources,
including
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when and how to access online information
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obtaining sources of information not available online
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people resources (such as your instructor, colleagues, or librarians)
Step 1 Outcomes
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A clear understanding of what is required for this project
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A decision about going ahead with the project
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A project plan
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Health Sciences Library Instructional
Modules /
Evaluating Online Information |