Articles for students and families transitioning into higher education.
Developing good research skills is important for success at university or college. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to improve how you find and use information, this guide will walk you through key steps to searching effectively, refining your results, and evaluating your sources. With these tips, you’ll be better equipped to gather quality materials and build strong, well-informed assignments.
Before you begin researching, make sure you know exactly what your assignment is asking. This helps you know what to look for and what kind of sources to use.
Ask yourself:
Understanding the task clearly will help you choose the right resources and plan your research.
There are two main styles of writing in assignments: Critical and Descriptive. Your question might ask for one or both.
These questions want you to think deeply about a topic, not just list facts. You’ll need to use academic sources to support your ideas.
Often, critical writing will ask you to form an argument – a point of view supported by research.
These questions ask you to show what you know about a topic, often in a clear and neutral way.
Before you begin using the library or online databases, take a few minutes to plan your research.
You can draw a mind map or keyword tree to help brainstorm.
Knowing what to search for is just the first step in writing a successful essay. You also need to make sure the sources you find are appropriate to use in your assignment. After you’ve defined your topic and understood the assignment, you can start your search.
Library Search
Start by using your University or College Library website. Knowing how to use the library’s resources is key to finding good, reliable sources for your studies.
Google Scholar
Google Scholar is a search engine that finds academic books, journal articles, and other scholarly resources. It shows how many times a source has been cited and suggests similar materials. Unlike a regular Google search, Google Scholar focuses on academic sources and often provides details like authors, publication dates, and links to free full texts when available.
You can refine searches using the ‘Advanced Search’ option. Also, to check if your university library has access to a source, go to Google Scholar’s Menu → Settings → Library Links, search for your university, select it, and save. Then you’ll see “View it @youruniversity-library” next to available sources, which you can access by logging into your library system.
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is useful for getting background information on your topic. However, because anyone can edit it, it is not considered an academic source and should not be cited directly. Instead, use Wikipedia’s references and links to find reliable academic materials you can cite.
Good sources help you build a clear and convincing argument in your assignment. Academic sources can include books, journals, websites, magazine articles, and conference papers. They generally fall into three categories:
At university, your library or department will give you access to many different academic sources. These sources serve different purposes depending on how you want to use the information. For example, a news report written right after an event may offer a different view than a book written years later that analyses or explains that event. Academic research often gives a more reliable, carefully checked perspective compared to blogs or social media posts, which can be more personal or biased.
Here are some common types of sources you might use:
Academic Journals
Academic journals publish papers or articles written by experts in a particular field. These articles usually focus on a specific topic and have been reviewed by other experts (called peer review) to make sure the research is accurate and trustworthy. Journals are great for finding detailed, up-to-date studies and are often the best sources for supporting your argument.
Books
Books and e-books provide a broad overview or deep analysis of a topic. They are helpful if you’re new to a subject or want a fuller understanding. However, books can take a long time to write and publish, so they might not have the latest information. Searching through books can also take more time compared to journal articles or online sources.
Broadcast (Mainstream) Media
This includes radio shows, TV programs, documentaries, podcasts, and press articles. These sources can give insight into how people viewed an event at the time it happened or shortly after. However, not all broadcast media go through the same fact-checking as academic sources, so it’s important to be cautious and check if the information is reliable.
Conference Papers, Reports, and Dissertations
These are works presented at academic conferences or written as part of research projects. They often contain fresh, detailed research and can be useful before this research is formally published in journals. However, they may not have been peer-reviewed yet, so errors or incomplete analysis might be present.
Newspapers
Newspapers report on current events and public opinion. They’re good for understanding how an event was seen at the time. But since they aim to attract readers, articles might be biased or incomplete, so use them carefully and check against other sources.
Trade Journals and Popular Magazines
Trade journals provide industry-specific information, and popular magazines like Time, Newsweek, or National Geographic offer broader perspectives on topics like science, economics, or culture. They are useful for understanding how topics were discussed in the media but don’t carry the same academic weight as peer-reviewed sources.
Websites
Websites can be created by anyone and offer quick, up-to-date information or general overviews. Because quality varies widely, always check who runs the website, the sources of the information, and whether it is trustworthy before using it in your assignment.
Databases
A database is a collection of electronic academic resources grouped by subject or type. Databases make it easier to search for journal articles, books, conference papers, and more in one place, saving time and helping you find relevant, reliable materials.
Data
Data refers to raw facts and figures collected through research, surveys, experiments, or observations. Using data can strengthen your arguments with solid evidence. When using data created by others, check who collected it, when, and how. Many datasets have a Digital Object Identifier (DOI), a unique number that helps you locate and reference the data properly. If you use someone else’s analysis of the data instead of the raw data, make sure you understand their methods and conclusions and evaluate whether it fits your research. Data can come in many forms, including numbers, statistics, images, or videos, so be clear about how you use and interpret it.
When you search for information, you might get too many results, which can be confusing. Using some simple search techniques can help you find better and more relevant information.
Start simple and explore these techniques as you get more comfortable with searching. They can help you save time and find exactly what you need.
Even if you use techniques like phrase searching, wildcards, or Boolean operators, you might still get too many or too few results. Here are some tips to help you refine your search:
If you get too many results
If you get too few results
A key academic skill is learning how to refine your search results to find the most relevant and trustworthy sources for your topic.
When gathering sources, it’s important to distinguish between facts and opinions. This helps you decide what information to use and how to build your argument.
You’ll also encounter beliefs or widely accepted ideas, which may not always have strong evidence but can sometimes help support your argument if backed by research.
To ensure your sources are reliable, objective, and relevant, you can use the PROMPT system. Here’s what each letter stands for and how to think about it:
Publication
Is the source from a reliable, credible, and trusted publication? Academic sources accessed through your college or university library’s database are usually trustworthy because these platforms filter out unreliable materials. Examples of trusted publications include well-known academic journals, university presses, or official organizations. This helps make sure the information is legitimate and respected by experts.
Relevance
Is the information useful and directly related to your topic? Not every source will be a perfect fit. Some might only cover part of your subject or be too general. You need to judge how much of the information you will actually use in your assignment and whether it matches your research question or thesis.
Objective
Consider how balanced and impartial the source is. Does it provide a fair view, or is it pushing a specific idea or agenda? Look for signs of bias, such as emotive language or selective presentation of facts. Also, check who funded the research—sometimes funding sources can influence the results or conclusions. Objective sources tend to present multiple viewpoints and support claims with evidence.
Method
Look at how the research was conducted. Was the data collection appropriate and thorough? Is the sample size representative? Are the findings convincing and clear? The method can affect how trustworthy the results are. Also think about how you want to use the source: will you quote directly or summarize someone else’s analysis? Make sure you use proper referencing when you include this information.
Personalities
Who is the author? Consider their background, expertise, and reputation. How often have they published on this topic? Where do they work, and in what capacity? Do they have a public profile or other roles that add to their credibility? Also, watch out for possible conflicts of interest that might affect the reliability of their work.
Timeliness
When was the research published? In many fields, newer research is more valuable because it reflects the latest knowledge and methods. You should think about how research techniques, attitudes, and expertise might have changed over time. Using outdated sources can reduce the quality of your assignment, so be careful especially in fast-changing areas like science or technology. In some cases, older research is still useful, but you should note its context and limitations.
Managing many sources can be overwhelming. Here are some tips:
