Determining your information needs
Now that you have analysed your assignment topic you are ready to look at what information you are going to need.
The first place to check should be your course homepage where your lecturer will have listed recommended readings. You should also make a note of references that your lecturer has cited and refer to them. For many initial assignments these references may be sufficient.
If they are not, or you have a much longer assignment then you may need to locate additional references.
How up to date does the information need to be?Some disciplines require that you use the most current information while others require historical information or information over a period of time.
Do you need information from a particular type of publication?For some assignments you may need information from scholarly or professional journals while others may require information from trade journals, government publications, popular magazines or newspapers.
Do you need information in a particular format?Your assignment may require you to use other kinds of sources such as visual/graphic sources (art prints, videos and DVDs, slides, maps), statistical sources, audio sources (CDs and audio tapes), or electronic sources (for example ebooks, computer files, the web).
Be aware of bias in the information you findFor assignments such as debates or essays that present an argument for and against an issue (for example you may be asked to discuss an issue) you may need to find information that presents a particular point of view, opposing points of view, or a range of viewpoints.