Now you have a pile of information sources. At this point it's helpful to sit down and think about the information you have gathered.

• Is this topic relevant to you in some way?
• How do I feel about this?
• Do I agree or disagree with published sources?
• What are the main issues or points of contention?

It’s important to identify the main ideas about a topic and decide just what your own ideas are. It’s also important to understand why your ideas are valid. Then you can begin to think about constructing and supporting (or contrasting) your arguments with the information you've gleaned from your sources. You also need to sit down and apply a set of criteria to your sources to determine whether they will be appropriate for your research. Let's look at those criteria.

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