What?

Task Definition
1. What is my research question?
2. What do I already know?
3. What information do I need?

Where?

Search Plan
1. What type of information do I need? For example: general, in depth, current, historical, biographical, issue oriented, other?
2. Review suggested resources, circle ones that fit, prioritize your list.
3. Evaluate resources for significance, accuracy, currency, authority.

Sample Reference Book List
Ref 030 Wor World Almanac
Ref 320 Sta The Statesman's Yearbook
Ref 320 Fin Financial Times World Desk Reference
Ref 903 Wor Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations
Ref 912 Ran Rand McNally Good's World Atlas

How?

Location & Access
1. Jot down rich words that relate to your topic.
2. Check your words, change your words if your search fails.
3. Focus your search by looking for relationships between elements in your research question.

Let the resource drive the catagory on which you do your thematic map of Europe. For example:

World Almanac
Nations section: Communications of each country
# TV sets
# Radios
# Telephones
# Daily newspapers

The Statesman's Yearbook
Culture section of each country
# Libraries
# Library Books

Financial Times World Desk Reference
Crime section of each country
# Prisoners
Yes or No on the Death Penalty
Crime rates on murder, rape, theft

Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations
Health catagory of each country
# Physicians
# Hospital beds

The Stateman's Yearbook
Culture of each country
# of cinemas

Some themes are easier to find information on than others. Examples of these are:

Energy use
Religion
Literacy rates (number of people that read and write)
Life expectancy
HIV/AIDS rates