Understanding what resources are most applicable to your subject and why they are applicable can help you focus and refine your thesis. Many topics are broad and searching for information on them produces a wide range of resources. Narrowing your topic and focusing on resources specific to your needs can help reduce the piles of information and help you focus in on what is truly important to read and reference.
When determining relevance consider the following:
• Does the item contain information relevant to your argument or thesis?
• Read the article’s introduction, thesis and conclusion.
• Scan main headings and identify article keywords.
• For book resources, start with the index or table of contents—how wide a scope does the item have? Will you use part or all of this resource?
• Does the information presented support or refute your ideas?
• If the information refutes your ideas, how will this change your argument?
• Does the material provide you with current information?
• What is the material’s intended audience?
Use the website listed below to consider all these questions:
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bottlenose-dolphin/#bottlenose-dolphin-jumping.jpg
