SCOTS PGC College Libraries: Research and Study Guides

Before starting to search for information sources, do a topic analysis to clarify and understand what you are being asked.

Look for these three key pieces of information in your assignment question:

1. The key topic or concept words direct you in what to research.
2. The limits or qualifiers tell you the specific focus of the topic or concept.
3. The task or instruction terms tell how you are to deal with the content.

To demonstrate let's look at an example question

Over the last five years social media has changed the way people communicate. Using research you have found online, argue for or against this statement.

After you have identified the key concepts, try brainstorming as many alternative keywords and phrases as possible.

Thinking about your topic in this way helps you to describe your topic in "other words", which will provide you with some useful keyword alternatives to use when searching for information.

There is no single way of taking notes. Browse these resources to find what suits you.

• Tips on how to organise the information you've read into a good set of notes (State Library of Victoria - Ergo)
• Ideas to help you effectively take notes in class (Dartmouth)
• Note-taking (University of Melbourne)
• Learn to take better notes - 3 note taking strategies (Sid Savara)
• This is a link to a template for Cornell Notes

• Reading and Note-taking online resources from UNSW

  Effective Reading
  Lengthy reading lists for courses and essays can be frightening, particularly when the subject is unfamiliar. This guide assists with reading strategies you will find helpful.

  Reading for Understanding: The SQW3R Method of Study
  Reading is one of the core activities of study. You need to be able to understand what you read and to be able to recall the main ideas when you need them. You can use the SQW3R method to improve your comprehension, to remember a reading for tutorials, seminars or to revise for exams.

  Note-taking: an introduction
  An outline of effective note-taking strategies to help you get the most out of lectures and readings. The guide suggests procedures such as symbols and abbreviations, diagrams and note cards.

  Effective Note-making from Written Text
  A simple method to use when you are making notes from any written sources of information.

  Selecting Information
  When you select material and information for your assignments, it should never be used indiscriminately should be a continual evaluation process occurring. This guide features a list of questions you should ask yourself when examining information.

   

When using the internet for your research make sure you evaluate your sources before you rely on them. The video above and the table below offer some tips on improving your searches to increase the relevance of the results.

Now that you have found some resources, how can you tell if they are suitable for your use?

You can use the CRAP test to evaluate a range of resource types - websites, books, journals, newspapers, magazines etc. Ask yourself the following questions to evaluate the resource against the criteria of Currency, Reliability, Authority and Purpose.