Geology110: Geology of the National Parks

This guide will take you through the research process so you can stay organized as you search for a variety of quality, authoritative sources for your National Parks project. This process will help keep you organized as you start your research all the way through to the completion of your paper.

The library is here to help you along the way! Use the Get Help from a Librarian tab, or reach out directly to your librarian. 

Any time you're doing research, please be sure to read your assignment carefully so you find the types of sources your instructor requires. Check with your instructor if you have questions about your assignment.

What Is Your Information Need?

Any time you need to do research, the first step is to identify the kind of information you need. (See the steps of the Research Process below.)

Knowing what kind of information you need will help you plan your research, use the right search tools, and locate relevant sources.

Information need: to find quality sources for your National Parks project that address the following:

• Park location
• Park history
• Basic park geology
• Flora and fauna
• Park activities
• Challenges facing your park
• Solutions to park challenges

Search Tools

Where are you most likely to find the information you need?

Search Engines (internet browser like Google): Popular sources like news and magazine articles, government sources like NPS.gov, primary sources. Sources may be behind a paywall, including news sources and sources from Google Scholar.

Library Databases: Scholarly sources, popular sources like news and magazine articles, eBooks, images, video, statistics, and more. Full text is available for thousands of database sources.

Choosing Sources for Your Research

As you research your park, it's important to consult a variety of sources and engage with diverse ideas. This helps ensure that your information is:

• Accurate
• Comprehensive
• Balanced
• Supported by evidence

The Research Process

1. Information need: What is your assignment asking you to find? 
2. Pre-research: Choose a topic, learn more about it, narrow it down, find keywords.
3. Research question: What is your assignment asking you to create?
4. Search strategy: Where will you look for information?
5. Search: Start with the main ideas of your topic or research question.
6. Evaluate every source you find - for credibility and usefulness.
7. Cite: You have found credible sources and answered your research question!