All research projects will require the use of in-depth information sources. For a discussion on how to find in-depth information sources, proceed to Step 3 of the Research Strategy. Retrospective material may take the form of books or journal articles, but it always provides a perspective of looking back on the event. The time lapse involved in retrospective material provides a point of view which may be different from that provided by contemporary material. Contemporary material may take the form of magazine, journal, or newspaper articles.
Contemporary material is essential when researching current events topics.
For example, when writing a paper on the topic of Japanese internment camps during World War II, you might want to look at newspaper articles from the 1940s as well as retrospective material written since the conclusion of the war. For a more complete guide on how to do research, use Research Assistant - an interactive program that can be accessed from most computers in Langsam library. To open Research Assistant , you must select it from the University Libraries Network Menu.