Do Some Preliminary ReadingPreliminary reading is like front-loading your learning. It gives you the background knowledge and vocabulary you need before diving into the complex sources you’ll cite in your research. Sometimes called background reading, this step helps you:
Get familiar with existing information, current research, and different viewpoints on your topic.
Evaluate whether a topic is truly viable—and whether you’re genuinely interested in pursuing it.
Refine or narrow a broad idea into a clear, manageable focus. (Where are other researchers and writers putting their attention?)
Remember: preliminary reading isn’t mainly about collecting sources—even though you might find some useful ones along the way. It’s about exploring ideas, building understanding, and setting yourself up for deeper research. The web is a great place to begin your preliminary reading.
Think of research questions as your shopping list for information. Just as a list keeps you focused in a crowded store, your questions keep you on track in the vast “supermarket” of sources. They help you:
And just like a grocery list, your research questions aren’t fixed. They may grow, change, or shift as you learn more and further refine your topic.
As you shape your research, different types of questions will help you focus on different parts of your paper: introduction, body, and conclusion. The following are sample questions to help you get started. Think of them as a menu of possibilities—some will fit your project, others won’t. Use them as a starting point to spark ideas, and adapt them to fit the scope and goals of your research.
Introductory Questions
Use these to get background information and define your topic.
Body Questions
These guide you into deeper analysis and evidence.
Concluding Questions
These help you pull your thinking together and point toward implications or solutions.
Not every source you find is trustworthy or useful. Before incorporating a source into your work, it’s essential to pause and evaluate it carefully. There are many evaluation methods—ABCs, the SIFT method, the 5 Ws, CARS, and the CRAAP Test. All serve the same purpose: guiding you through the process of deciding whether a source is reliable. Choose one you can remember, and apply it consistently to every potential source.
The CRAAP Test offers a simple checklist for making that decision:
Currency – Is the information up to date for your topic? Some fields (like medicine or technology) demand recent sources, while others (like history) may rely on older ones.
Relevance – Does the source support points in your outline? Does it add new information or simply repeat what you already have?
Authority – Who created the source, and what makes them credible? Look at the author’s background, education, or professional experience.
Accuracy – Is the information evidence-based? Check for citations, peer review, and whether claims can be confirmed elsewhere.
Purpose – Why was the source created? Is it objective, biased, or persuasive? What’s the author’s agenda?
Using the CRAAP Test helps you spot potential problems, but sometimes you can’t answer these questions from the source alone. That’s where lateral reading comes in.
The CRAAP Test is a solid starting point, but the site you’re evaluating isn’t always the best place to verify authority, accuracy, or point of view. Authors and organizations can misrepresent themselves, and sites that look professional may be promoting an agenda.
Lateral reading means stepping outside the source. Open a new tab and search for information about the author, organization, or publication. By reading across multiple sources—not just down the page in front of you—you can see what others are saying and gather outside evidence.
This practice strengthens your evaluation, helps confirm credibility, and gives you a clearer sense of whether a source deserves a place in your research.
Once you have an idea of the general flow of your paper, it's time to dig deeper and find credible evidence to support your ideas and claims. Databases are a great place to find academically appropriate sources. 
The Library subscribes to more than 60 research databases, and. MJC research librarians are happy to point you toward the best database(s) for your topic.
Below I've linked to some of the databases that are strong candidates for research related to artificial intelligence. A complete list of our databases can be found HERE:
There’s a wealth of credible information on the web—but it exists alongside a great deal that’s unsuitable for an academic bibliography. To improve your chances of finding high-quality sources, keep these strategies in mind:
Different academic disciplines use different citation styles—MLA, APA, Chicago, and Harvard are among the most common—but every style governs the same three aspects of your writing:
In English 1001, you will use the formatting style of the Modern Language Association (MLA).
MJC Librarians are available to assist with MLA formatting and citing. They can check over your paper to ensure your formatting is correct, look over your citations, and make sure your in-text citations are correctly placed and formatted. A librarian can help you via chat, an appointment, or via our drop-in Research Help services.
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As you conduct your research, keep Professor Lloyd’s prompt in mind. His instructions offer essential guidance on how to structure your paper and include all due dates for the assignments leading up to your final draft.
You’ll find the full instructions in Week 10 of your Canvas shell, and they’re also linked here for convenience.
