There are many ways to describe the process of researching a topic for a paper or a project.
This description of the research process consists of ten actions across five stages. This process is cyclical and creative, not linear. Continue to adjust your terms, tools, and questions throughout the process and move back and forth across stages and actions as you explore your topic and find out new information.
Understand your assignment and timeline, and think about and write down the questions you'll be asking while you do your research. You may be asked to turn in a topic proposal for class, and this stage helps you complete your proposal.
Brainstorm the concepts, topics, and phrases you'll use to search for source material, and think about and choose the databases, websites, or other places you'll search.
Explore and search in the databases or other places you've chosen while developing your plan. Look through other databases or sites as new questions arise. Collect more sources than are required for your paper or project. Evaluate and select your sources. Take your time in this stage, and search again for different sources, if needed.
Read your selected sources carefully, taking notes while you do so. Read critically. Answer your existing questions and come up with new questions. Search again, if needed, so you can fill any gaps in knowledge and satisfy your curiosity about your topic.
Create your product, whether it's a research paper, a poster, a presentation, or something else. Draft your citations, and check your product against your assignment requirements. Edit your draft, proofread, incorporate feedback and turn it in.