Research Writing: Dig Into Discovery

Lesson Plan - Get It!

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What Is Preliminary Research?

Preliminary research is your first big dive into information. It’s where you search for books, articles, websites, and other materials to see what’s out there—and what’s useful.

This is the step where you decide the following.

• What information do I already know?

• What do I still need to find out?

• What sources are reliable and relevant?

You don’t have to read everything in detail yet—this is more like skimming the surface to map your path.

As you browse, you might even shift your topic slightly based on what you find. That’s totally okay! This stage is still flexible.

How to Start

Start with your chosen topic. Use the following tools to gather information.

Library Resources: Use the catalog to find books and reference materials. Look at chapter titles and indexes to see if the content is relevant.

Subscription Databases: Use tools like EBSCO, Gale, or JSTOR. (Ask your librarian for access.) These are full of peer-reviewed, trustworthy articles.

Search Engines: Google Scholar is a better option than regular Google. Focus on .edu, .gov, or .org sources when possible.

Experts and Interviews: Know someone who works in your topic area? Interview them or find interviews online.

Multimedia: Videos, documentaries, podcasts, and news clips can offer valuable background or perspective.

As you search, ask yourself these questions.

• Is this source reliable and current?

• Does it connect to my narrowed topic?

• Will I use information from this source in my paper?

Don’t waste time collecting information you won’t need. Skim the table of contents, read chapter headings, and preview articles to decide what’s worth using.

Be Flexible

It’s totally normal to tweak your topic based on what you discover.

For example, maybe you planned to write about the Underground Railroad, but you found rich, detailed info on Harriet Tubman. That shift could help you write a clearer, stronger paper.

Don’t fight the research; follow where it leads.

Source Cards: Your Research Roadmap

Once you’ve found a source you plan to use, it’s time to create a source card. This helps you keep track of where your information comes from so you can cite it properly later.

Most high school research papers use MLA format, which works well for topics in the humanities.

Here’s what to include on each source card (using a 3x5 index card or digital note).

Source number (top right corner) – Label each source in order (1, 2, 3…).

Author’s name – Last name first. If no author, skip this.

Title – Books and websites are in italics; article titles are in quotation marks.

Publisher or website sponsor

Date of publication

Medium – Use “Print” for physical sources, and “Web” for online.

Date of access – Only for online sources.

You’ll only need one source card per source, but you’ll create multiple note cards later when preparing to write your paper.

Examples of Source Cards

Book Example

Source #1
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Harper Perennial, 2002. Print.

Website Example

Source #2
“Shark Conservation Facts.” SharkWorld, Shark Alliance, 2022. Web. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

Database Article Example

Source #3
Smith, Jane. “Rethinking Ocean Pollution.” Environmental Science Today, vol. 15, no. 2, 2021, pp. 45–52. GreenData, Web. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

Source cards help you stay organized and save you tons of time later when adding citations or creating your Works Cited page. Get this step right, and your future self will thank you!

Now that you’ve learned how to search smart and document your sources, it’s time to test those skills.

Head to the Got it? section to practice evaluating sources and creating your own source cards to prepare for deeper research.