Step #3 of the Jim’s Research Process: begin to teach yourself about your narrowed topic by reading/browsing in more detail carefully selected sources.

Here's How to Begin:

Begin with your narrowed topic. Form your narrowed topic into a Research Question to help you limit your task and focus.  When creating possible Research Questions, use the six questions that reporters use: who? what? where? when? why? how?

For example, my narrowed topic was "the original problem with the Hubble telescope lens."  I apply the Reporter’s Questions to my topic and immediately generate these two Research Questions:  (1) WHAT was the original lens problem?  (2) HOW did engineers and astronauts fix it? (The Reporter’s Questions will generate many more Research Questions.)

Here's How to Use your Research Question

Remember this--(write this reminder on a 3 x 5 card if it will help you keep it in mind). YOU NEED ONLY find, read, and study sources that directly address the Research Question. IMMEDIATELY ignore/ disregard sources that do not directly address the Research Question. (The source’s Abstract will tell you.)

Collect five or six sources that target your Research Question. These may not be your final sources, and you'll likely need to find more.

Study (and annotate) these sources to teach yourself about your topic as you search for answers to your Research Question.

During off periods, think about what you're learning--try to put the pieces together.

Continually ask yourself this: what are the two or three most important things you are learning about your topic? What information have you found so far that would help answer your Research Question?