It's time to begin researching the author you chose to write about at the beginning of this lesson. The first task in your research is to find credible sources you can consult and cite in your paper. If you’ve finished researching the topic already, look for one additional source on the Internet that you can incorporate into your paper. After you find at least one usable source of information, describe the search method(s) you used. Focus on one source. Explain which features of the source add to its credibility. Evaluate the relevance of the source in the context of your paper. How can you use the information in it to lend credibility to your paper? What purpose does the information serve in your essay?

Read this excerpt from "edward jenner and the history of smallpox and vaccination.” smallpox was introduced to europe sometime between the fifth and seventh centuries and was frequently epidemic during the middle ages. the disease greatly affected the development of western civilization. the first stages of the decline of the roman empire (ad 108) coincided with a large-scale epidemic: the plague of antonine, which accounted for the deaths of almost 7 million people. the arab expansion, the crusades, and the discovery of the west indies all contributed to the spread of the disease. unknown in the new world, smallpox was introduced by the spanish and portuguese conquistadors. the disease decimated the local population and was instrumental in the fall of the empires of the aztecs and the incas. similarly, on the eastern coast of north america, the disease was introduced by the early settlers and led to a decline in the native population. before it reached the new world, smallpox played a role in