🧠 Step 1: Choose a Topic - Brainstorm

- Pick something that interests you — your curiosity shows in your writing! Always check with your teacher first: they may have guidelines for topics and/or require you to focus on something preselected. 

- Narrow it down if it’s too broad.

Example: “Climate Change” → “Effects of Climate Change on Michigan’s Great Lakes.”

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🔍 Step 2: Build Your Search Plan

- Write down your main question.

- Brainstorm 3–5 keywords and synonyms.

- Try combining them when you search:

Example: “Great Lakes AND climate change.”

Check out this resource from EBSCO all about Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) and searching strategies. This will help you perform advanced level searching. 

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✅ Step 3: Evaluate Your Sources

- Who wrote it?

- When was it published?

- Why was it written?