Library: Help with Research: Introduction

Read your assignment question

What do you need to do? Look for this information

Due Date and time
Length - Is there a word limit for the assignment?
Format - do you need to create an essay, poster, report, class presentation?
Audience - Lecturer, class, individual (e.g. write a letter to a friend and explain...)
Are there any special requirements such as statistics, illustrations or resources which you need to include or create?

Check with your lecturer early on if you are unsure of what you are expected to do.

Select the topic you will be writing on. Plan your research.

What do you already know about the topic?
What do you need to know?
Make a list or draw a mind map of the key words or phrases which describe the topic. Your text books and assigned readings are a good place to start to find these. Include synonyms in the list. These will be the key words you use in your search for information.

It may be helpful to produce a broad outline of your assignment by organising the concepts you have mind mapped into:

An introduction - a brief background and relevance of the topic to your subject
Body of the essay - through discussion of the main points
Conclusion - summary of the main points and your interpretation

You may want to write a timeline for gathering and writing your assignment. You could try the online planning calculator at: https://owll.massey.ac.nz/academic-writing/assignment-planning-calculator.php

For help with time management, mind mapping and other study skills check out our Study Toolbox or make an appointment with a Learning Advisor.

Identify your sources of information

Gather information from:

Your text books and assigned readings
The Library Subject Guide for your subject
Academic journals
Databases
Websites
e-books

Use the key words you have listed as search terms in Search Rapua, the library catalogue, and in the library's databases and e-book collections as well as internet search engines.

Review and revise your search terms if you find too much or too little information.

If you find one article or book which is very good check the references/bibliography at the end for other material which may be useful.

If you need help searching the catalogue or databases make an appointment with your Subject Librarian

Collect, evaluate and record

Focus on your topic and the structure of your assignment when selecting the information you will use from the sources you have found. Use a range of sources - some books, some journal articles and website information when appropriate.

Read critically. Evaluate the information you have found according to these criteria:

Relevance - is the content relevant to your topic and perspective?

Substance - Is the information too complex or too basic for your purpose?

Currency - is the information up-to-date, or appropriate to your research?

Authority - is the information provided by a person or organisation with expertise in this topic? This is especially important to consider for information taken from websites.

Accuracy - do details seem to be correct? Check important details in a second, unrelated source.

Bias - why has it been written? Is it written from fact or opinion? Are the facts correctly interpreted? Is a reference list included?

It is particularly important to evaluate information you collect from websites.

Take notes as you go. Make sure to :

Record the author, date, title and publisher of all sources you decide to use.
If you are copying any part to use as a direct quote also record the page number.
Note down useful concepts or ideas from each source and summarise these in your own words.

You may wish to use citation software such as Zotero or Mendeley to record your sources.

Ask a Subject Librarian if you need help finding or selecting information or recording the details of your sources.

Use your research to write your essay or prepare your presentation

Review your notes to see if you have collected information to cover all the topics you need to discuss. Gather more information if necessary.

When preparing a written assignment:

Use your own words for most of the essay, incorporating concepts from the sources of information you have selected
Use in-text citations to acknowledge the ideas of the authors
Include quotations sparingly, and only when they support your point
Add a reference list of the sources you used
Edit your assignment to make sure that your ideas are expressed logically and clearly
Proofread your assignment to check spelling, punctuation and the consistency of your presentation

Make an appointment with a Learning Advisor for help with academic writing.

Most schools at MIT require students to use the APA (American Psychological Association) referencing style for citing, quoting and referencing sources. Some subjects in the School of Engineering may require you to use the IEEE system. The library website has resources to guide you with both these styles..

See your Subject Librarian for help with APA or IEEE referencing.

When preparing a presentation:

Write a script, creating an introduction, main body and conclusion
Select key points for PowerPoint slides
Prepare note cards to keep yourself on track
Practice your presentation

Check your assignment sheet to make sure you have met all the requirements.

Contact staff in the library for more help with your research or you can use the Chat Now link on the home page of the library website.

Library 160: Introduction to College-level Research You will learn how scholarly information is produced, organized, and accessed; how to construct and use effective search strategies in a variety of web tools and scholarly databases; how to choose finding tools appropriate to the type of information you need; critical thinking skills in the evaluation of resources; and best practices in the ethical use of information.

Write That Essay! Tertiary Edition by Ian Hunter "Write that Essay! College Edition" is a practical guide to writing better essays and achieving higher grades. Written to address common difficulties raised by students at college level and those returning to higher education, this book is the essential guide for improving writing skills and achieving better grades. Written by a former university professor, this book gives an insiders perspective to essay writing. Topics covered include how to plan an essay; how to write an introduction; how to make your writing more interesting; how to make a convincing argument; how to write a conclusion; how to polish your essay; and how to write under pressure.
Dewey Number: 808.4 HUN
ISBN: 9781927181034
Publication Date: 2013
Essay Writing Skills by Jacqueline Connelly; Patrick Forsyth Writing essays is a major part of many further education courses. In coursework assignments, dissertations and exams, a well-written essay can make the difference between a pass and a fail, and these essays provide you with the stepping stones that take you towards the degree, qualification and career that you desire. Nothing will expose your uncertainty or lack of knowledge more than a poorly written essay; what Essay Writing Skills does is let you know what is expected of you and how best to go about your research, thus allowing you to get on top of your workload quickly. Essay Writing Skills offers practical and proven ways to maximise your success in all aspects of essay writing. From planning your first essay to assessing primary and secondary sources, it will help you to write in a systematic way that presents a convincing and academically sound argument. A comprehensive guide, it provides guidance and advice on good research techniques, grammar and accuracy, creating an essay plan and correctly citing your sources. It also includes a range of real life example essays and insider knowledge on how your essays are assessed, Essay Writing Skills is an indispensible source of advice, making the writing process clear and manageable to help you improve the quality of your written work.
Dewey Number: 808.4 CON
Publication Date: 2012-04-24