How do you avoid wasting too much time doing research for a university paper?

I agree with "LO." The problem with an essay is that it attempts to answer a question. The problem with writing is your getting to a question that you want to focus on. There seems to be a lot of sources because people are writing to different questions--even on the same subject. So, do you want to approach it through the question of the rights of the state that is being "helped" or the question of what sort of "aid" is the best or how to tell if the true motives are altruistic and humanitarian or imperialistic. As you skim a source, try to figure out the question that the writer was answering.