This guide will help you get started on your geography research project. It will describe the kinds of sources you may need and how to get them. It will also help you evaluate and document your sources. Don't forget: if you need any help, ask your librarian!
Geography is often divided into two branches: physical geography and human geography. Depending on the focus of your research, you may need a mix of sources to help answer your question.
For example, a topic based in physical geography would rely more on hard scientific data from areas such as climate science, ecology, or geology. A topic based in human geography would rely more on social scientific information from areas such as anthropology, political science, or history.
Sometimes, a research topic relies on a mix of the two, for example: how did climate change in one area lead to widespread migration to another? This would rely on climate information from both regions, the ecological results, and the social, political, and anthropological significance of the migration. To answer such a question, you must rely on a mix of sources from a variety of places.
