4: Step 2 (Research Your Topic)
- Page ID
- 172682
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This chapter covers:
- Start Smart
- Getting Data
- Search Engines and Databases
- Evaluate Your Sources
- Useful Online Resources
Whether your communication goal is to persuade or inform, you’ll need more than fancy words to win the day-you’ll need substance as well as style. Once you’re clear on your purpose and audience (Step 1), you’ll need to research your topic to uncover information that will support your communication goals.
In some ways, research has never been easier-electronic databases and the Internet give us access to quantities of information unthinkable 20 years ago. But new opportunities bring new challenges. With so much information, how do we find the data we need to meet our purpose? And how do we know a source should be trusted? This chapter gives some basic suggestions that will be useful in nearly any assignment.