Taking just a few minutes to develop your topic and plan your search strategy will save time and effort later.  It's true!!

Your assignment is to research information for - and ultimately deliver - a persuasive paper/speech.

What is your topic idea?  Ex:  Organic and locally-grown foods

Turn your topic into a question. Do the benefits of buying locally-grown foods outweigh the disadvantages?

What might be the answers to this question?  (yes/no, pro/con)  Ex:  Pros: strengthens local economy, promotes health, protects the environment (less gas to transport, fewer pesticides used), better taste.  Cons:  more expensive, seasonal, doesn't follow certain regulations, puts larger farmers out of business

Develop your thesis statement. The answers to your question will help form your thesis statement. While you will be presenting both sides of the argument; ultimately, the evidence for your side will be so persuasive that the reader/audience will be swayed over to your side.  And you should end with a call to action.

Ex: While there may be some barriers to buying locally-grown food, our personal health, the environment, and the economy would benefit greatly if each one of us pledged to eat at least one meal a week consisting of organic or locally-grown food products.

Help Developing Your Thesis & Organizing Your Argument is found here. 

Keywords are the main ideas or concepts of your topic question. Keep a list of these words because you will use them when searching for information on your topic. You will also want to come up with related terms in order to expand your searching. Add to this list as you search.

Example topic question: Do the benefits of buying locally-grown food outweigh the disadvantages?

Search for encyclopedias, handbooks, dictionaries, and more.  Great for background material!