Thinking about your approach and developing a sound research strategy before you start a project will help you accomplish your goals and get to relevant results more quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively. This is a checklist that will help you prepare to research. Read all of the steps first. You don’t need to do them in order. Expand a step or add a step as you work through your problem. Take notes, keep track of where you’ve been & where you need to go. If you have questions or would like help, ask a librarian.