When you search for information, you will use keywords. To get the correct keywords, you'll have to do some reading about your topic. In other words you read to get the right keywords.

Most often, the best place to start reading is in the reference section of the Library. The reference section contains many different types of dictionaries, encyclopaedias, thesauruses, etc., all of which will supply you with more than enough information to start identifying keywords and begin your search.

If your topic is about something that is currently happening in the news, e.g. the new national budget, the best place to start reading will be the latest newspapers and periodicals (magazines).

It is important to start making notes already at this point about the resources you are using, the information you found and where you found it. See reading and making notes in step 5 to help you with this.