Researching Your Assignment
- Find books and articles on your reading list
- Understanding your assignment question
- Find background readings
- What is a database?
- Choosing the right database
- How to search a database
- Critically analyse information
- Evaluating what you find on the internet
- Referencing your assignment
- Explore Information Skills Online
- Study and writing skills
- Find other useful resources
Find Books and Articles on your Reading List
- Reserve - recommended readings for your course unit including books and audiovisual material.
- e-Reserve - electronic resources for your unit, such as journal articles, book chapters, past exam papers and more.
- Catalogue - for resources held by the Library, including those not on your reading list. Tips on using the catalogue (pdf, 513kb).
- Journal Finder - find specific electronic and print journal titles.
- Search the Catalogue under the title of the BOOK or JOURNAL (not the author or title of the chapter or article) if not using the Reserve Collection.
Understand your Assignment Question
Analysing a topic and listing keywords
To develop a search strategy, identify the key concepts or ideas contained in your topic.
Note: databases and catalogues can be searched by keywords.
Example question:
Discuss factors that influence the relationship between food intake and children's behaviour.
Three main concepts are contained in this question:
Concept 1: Food
Concept 2: Children
Concept 3: Behaviour
Refer to recommended readings, dictionaries, encyclopaedias or textbooks to obtain a better understanding of these concepts.
List alternative keywords for each concept. These additional terms could be more specific or more general alternatives.
| Concept 1 FOOD |
Concept 2 CHILDREN |
Concept 3 BEHAVIOUR |
| hunger diet nutrition sugar |
infants girls/boys adolescents |
hyperactivity anxiety depression lethargy |
Find Background Readings
Identify resources appropriate to your assignment
Having analysed your topic, decided on your keywords, and developed your search logic, the next step is to match your information needs to the appropriate resources.
For example, your assignment task may require:
- Definitions and word meanings
- Background information or overview
- Research publications - primary literature
- Research publications - secondary literature
Information resources may be in print or electronic format.
There may also be valuable resources in other formats such as video recordings, audiocassettes, maps, multimedia CD-ROMs, and posters.