Creating a Preliminary Bibliography

Doing research on an unfamiliar topic requires scanning the available information,

refining your topic using what you have found, and selecting the most promising
sources to work with. Take these steps to create your initial list of sources, which
should be formatted using [your choice of] style.
Note: You must have a librarian sign off on it before handing it in. Due in class on
[date].
One: plan your search
What is your general topic? What do you already know about it? Write a short
paragraph summarizing your thoughts. What key concepts are involved? What
alternative words could you use in your search (e.g. Native Americans or Indians,
gaming or gambling or casinos).
Two: make an initial scan of resources
1. What books are available? Use the library catalog to conduct a search; be
sure to browse the shelves, too. Be prepared to broaden your search terms if
necessary. It may be that the library doesnt have a book that is entirely
devoted to your topic. Instead ask yourself what sort of book might include
information on my topic?
2. What articles are available? Use Academic Search Premier (on the librarys
Website under the Articles tab) to conduct a search. Be prepared to narrow
your search terms if necessary. Articles tend to be far more specifically
focused than books. You might find it useful to limit your search to scholarly
(peer reviewed) journals by clicking that option under the search boxes.
3. [if relevant] Are there valuable Web resources on your topic? Which
government agencies or non-profit organizations might be likely to publish
information of interest? As you search, consider which Web sources your
readers would consider credible. A Web page that seems to have relevant
information may nevertheless not be considered a persuasive or convincing
source.
Whenever you find a book or article that looks promising, check the subject headings
for alternative search terms and be prepared to reformulate your search
accordingly. Also, pay attention to different perspectives on your topic. You may find
interesting ways to narrow your search by focusing on one aspect or another.
Three: make an initial assessment
Gather together the books and articles you have identified and examine them
critically. Which seem most relevant and useful? Are any of them out of date?
Once you have skimmed the most promising sources, revisit steps one and two. Has
your understanding of the topic changed? Are there different terms you would use
for a search?

Four: trace cited works

Take a close look at the most useful of the sources you have found so far. Does it
have a bibliography? Would any of those books or articles be relevant for your
research? If so, take the following steps:

look up promising book titles in the library catalog using the title search
option;
for journal articles, look up the title of the journal after choosing the Journals
List tab (on the librarys Website) to see if we have online or print access to
the right issue of the journal.

Five: compile a preliminary bibliography

Make a list of the most promising sources, with all the information needed for a full
citation in [your choice of] style. Then take it to the reference desk. A librarian will
review your sources and perhaps make suggestions for additional research. Make
sure you get the librarians signature before you hand it in.

A research project is like a fishing expedition: you reel in some sources, keep some
and throw back others. As your project unfolds, the relevancy of your sources
becomes clearer. In fact, if you work like a lot of students, your source page may the
very last page you finesse. Until that time, its important to keep track of your
sources by compiling a preliminary bibliography. Taking a few minutes to document
information as you gather your catches will save you untold time in trying to create
a source page at the end of your research project.
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Step 1

Find out whether your research paper should follow the style of the Modern
Language Association or the American Psychological Association. This way, you can
place each source in the appropriate style as you compile your bibliography page.
MLA calls the bibliography page Works Cited while APA calls it References.

Step 2

Create separate headings on your preliminary bibliography page for online sources,
books, periodicals and consumer publications. Then consult MLA or APA for the
correct citation style for each source and put an example for each underneath the
heading. Eliminate these examples as your bibliography page develops, but this
important time-saver will allow you to simply follow the style example rather than
consult the MLA or APA stylebook every time you make a new entry to your working
bibliography.

Step 3

Leave room under each bibliographical entry so that you can explain the sources
relevance or importance to your paper. Call this your source rationale. Write
succinct notes that you can decipher later, such as Good definition of XXX in chapter
3 or Must have description of YYY experiment in chapter 7. This step will force you
to spend a few minutes evaluating a source as you proceed with your project rather
than facing an ocean of books and articles at the end.

Step 4

Follow the structure of your preliminary bibliography dutifully and for every source
you gather. Be sure to copy and paste the URL address of online sources into your
preliminary bibliography. Do not run the risk of writing them manually because you
may unwittingly miss a character or two that may thwart your ability to locate the
source later.

Step 5

Compile more sources than you need for each category so that you can scrutinize
them later to make your final choices. Be judicious in your final choices. If you
cannot validate how a source would enhance your paper, do not include it in your
preliminary bibliography.

Step 6

Eliminate the headings when you are finished with your preliminary bibliography and
alphabetize your author sources by the last name, as both MLA and APA style
require. You may wish to copy and paste your source rationale notes to another
document, especially if your teacher expects you to explain why you chose the
sources you did.