2a: Exploring My Topic

I began my initial exploration by using the simplest tool I know of: Google. I used an advanced search and typed in such key words as 'KKK,' 'Colorado,' 'Clarence Morley,' 'Denver,' and 'John Locke.' As was expected, Google yielded thousands of results; to my surprise, though, it pointed me to some very useful resources without forcing me to dig very deep. I was careful to discriminate against particular types of sources (i.e. blogs, YouTube videos, etc), and I focused primarily on the sites with .edu or .gov suffixes, as well as ones from reputable sources such as the Rocky Mountain News. I explored my topic for less than half an hour, and I found 7 good sources (that is, I believe they are reliable and will provide me with useful information); these include books, periodicals from the time I will be focusing on (the 1920s), recent periodicals looking back on my topic, and official documents of the KKK (records, letters, etc). Also, I briefly checked out Prospector over the Auraria library website, and I have requested several books that deal specifically with my topic, the KKK in Colorado. This initial exploration has been very encouraging, and I don't foresee any trouble locating enough informaiton.