2.3 Generate/Gather relevant information on a given topic.

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To write a good essay one should first gather relevant information on the Essay topic. Below are some methods that could be used to generate/gather relevant information for Essay topics.

Instructor

Your instructor or teacher is always a source of help. You can find out from your teacher the sources of information for a given topic. This might include relevant papers that might have been written on that topic. It might also include some sections of the library and some other relevant sources. The teacher’s direction to any source of information is of great relevance and time saving because it helps you to directly assess the sources relevant to your Essay topic.

Brainstorming

One can as well brainstorm the Essay topic. This involves focusing your thought on the topic. Any idea that comes to your mind about the topic is important and should be written down fast. At this level, it does not matter if the information is wrong or right. Just write down either the words or phrases that come to mind when you think of the topic.

Research

You can carry out a mini-research or study on the topic. You may read what others have written about it, textbooks, online materials, materials from e-libraries, and some other sources. As you read these materials you note down the information related to your essay topic.

Library

A visit to your school library or state library can help one explore relevant textbooks, journals, newsprints, and other important sources in the library. As you read through the materials from this source take notes from discussions that concern your topic. At this level, you do not need to organize the information. Just write them down as full sentences or phrases.

Discussion

You can discuss the essay topic with your parents, classmates, or some other groups. Find out their ideas or opinions on your topic. This method helps you to generate information that might differ from what you already have. It is important that you note them down and compare them with your opinion or other information you have noted down.

Notes

Your class notes or subjects that contain discussions on the essay topic or related topics could be of great help. Search them to see if there are relevant pieces of information from these sources. Write down any related or relevant information found.