How does research differ from simply getting information on a topic? The definitions of research always carry the idea of careful consideration, e.g. "A search or investigation directed to the discovery of some fact by careful consideration or study of a subject; a course of critical or scientific inquiry." Oxford English Dictionary 2nd ed., or "studious inquiry or examination; especially :investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts, or practical application of such new or revised theories or laws" Merriam Webster Dictionary.

Fresco in Pompeii at the Casa di Menandro From Wikimedia

As a result, we can see that there is a sense of a systematic search. Finding something in the first two or three sources that come into your hand does not qualify as research. This is the primary reason why searches and materials found through a Google search are normally not counted as research.

How Can I do a Systematic Search?
Always remember that you are not the first person to do research, and people have made a lot of tools to help you. Librarians and other experts have created different "research guides" that can help a lot. Basically, there are two types of research guides: general and specific. A general research guide gives you a basic overview of how research is done; and a specific research guide is made for specfic topics.

A basic research guide can be found in AUR's wiki under Academic Skills for Success in Scholarly Research but there are many others around the web. Some are more academic in nature, and others are more personal. More specific guides can be found through AUR's list of research guides, which allows you to use the best of the research guides produced by experts in other libraries around the world.

We would also like to point out certain materials that may be of great use to you and would be lost in the other research guides. The first are the Think tank publications, and the other are the Congressional Research Service Reports.