Whether you are a student about to begin work on a research paper, or an amateur genealogist about to construct your first family tree, you will need to learn and develop research skills. This guide will help direct you on how to research.

Do you enjoy spending time at the library, sifting through old newspaper articles on microfilm and flipping through books that have dust on their edges? Do you like browsing the internet, soaking up knowledge on a variety of subjects? If so, you might be interested in learning different ways to improve your research skills, becoming more efficient in the process.

There are many reasons why people need to perform research, whether for personal reasons, their job, or because they are a student working on a school project or assignment. Although this guide will focus on performing general research, it is important to pinpoint your own research needs as you will likely need to tweak your approach accordingly. Some types of research include, but are not limited to:

1. Academic research. This would apply to both students and faculty that are performing various research tasks.
2. Medical research. This usually applies to those working in labs, people whose entire job is built around studying diseases and medical procedures to help better our lives through promoting health.
3. Legal research. This applies to law, finances, real estate, etc.
4. Genealogy research. Genealogists, both professional and amateur, perform this type of research in attempt to uncover their ancestral history.
5. Scientific research.
6. Investigative research. This includes background checks.
7. Personal research.

Before beginning your actual research, it is important to set goals. This is a great way to keep yourself focused and on task, and will prevent you from wasting time if you are working on a deadline. Remember to start your research as soon as possible, allowing for changes in your approach, especially if you are researching for a paper.

Tips for setting goals:

1. Be realistic. Do not set goals that are impossible to accomplish.
2. Flexibility. Be open to changing certain goals if your research requires it.
3. Set measurable goals. Make sure you are able to measure any goals you set, and are able to assess the moment when you have reached those goals and do not need to go any further.

Once you have set your goals, it is time to begin researching! Places to focus your research include, but are not limited to:

1. Internet. This is an ideal place to research, as not only is there a wealth of information available, but you can also perform internet research from home. The important thing to remember, however, is that not all online resources are reputable, so you will need to determine the sites that are reputable, especially for your specific topic or focus of research.
2. Library. This is a great place to find important resources, many of which are not available online. These include books, magazines and newspaper articles. Many of the magazine and newspapers will only be offered on microfilm or microfiche.
3. Field research. This refers to more physical research, conducting interviews, visiting specific locations includes and asking questions to people familiar with your topic.

Whether you are writing a research paper, researching your family history or gathering information for an upcoming court appearance, it is essential that you keep track of all the resources you are utilizing. For research papers, you will need to include the citations as you write your paper. For other researching projects, such as presentations, you will want to be able to refer to the reputable places you found certain pieces of pertinent information. This especially applies when you are citing statistics or when you are making an appearance in court. Keeping track of your resources will also help if you need to refer back to a specific piece of information for names or other related facts.