You could start by going back to your Talis resource lists. These will take you to the books, articles, websites and videos that your lecturers selected for that topic or module. A quick way to access your Talis list is to type the module code into Online Resource Lists
However, you will be expected (and will also want to) go beyond those sources that have been pre-selected for you. This is when you need to do some independent research to find your own information.
To find your own information, you will need to have some keywords to type into the search engine. Picking the right keywords is an important part of the research process and affects your search results. You want the keywords to represent each of the main concepts in the topic you are exploring. The best keywords are single words or short phrases.
Most search engines will try to match exactly the words that you type in. This means you may need to think of alternative keywords. For example:
Be prepared to try out several different words to get the best results.
To help you to select keywords, revisit your research plan or mind map and see which words or phrases you jotted down. You could also try using a Gen AI tool and ask it to generate keywords on your topic.
You are now almost ready to start doing some focussed searching. However, before you jump into using Library Search or other search tools, take a moment to think about what sort of information you need. Is it statistics, an interview, a definition, historical background, a case study?
Different types of information are found in different types of sources and understanding this will help you to know where to look. For example:
Once you have pulled together your keywords and decided which search tool is best suited to what you want to find, it is finally time to start searching.
Here are some of the search tools you might want to use:
Searching for one keyword or phrase can mean your results are too vague and broad. If you search with several keywords, it’s a good idea to use more advanced search options, or to use some boolean operators. By doing this, your search will be more focussed and you will have fewer, but more accurate results to work with.
Boolean operators tell the search engine exactly what you are looking for and means that it relies less on relevancy ranking, which is the normal default. The two most used operators are AND and OR.
Also remember to make use of any filters such as publication date or resource type. These are quick ways to focus and narrow your search results.
The final stage of any research cycle is to review how successful your search has been and revise your search strategy accordingly.
Did your search work? Did you get too few or too many search results? Or results that just aren't relevant enough to your topic? Maybe you have discovered new keywords to include or a different angle you want to follow up?
All of these are good reasons to adjust your search and give it another try! For more advice about how to improve your search, try the Improve your Searching Guide.
Part of the search stage of research is deciding whether to keep or discard what you have found. What you choose to use obviously effects the quality of your work and the strength of your arguments. So give power to your voice by making good choices.
Hopefully, the resources provided by the library can be trusted, but this doesn't mean they are always suitable for your purposes. They may not be relevant enough or current enough. So even library resources will need a quick critical evaluation.
We all know about misinformation on the internet and if you search the open web for information sources, you need to remember that anyone can publish anything online, and expert knowledge sits alongside biased opinions and complete rubbish. So these definitely need evaluating before using.
To learn more about how to think critically about sources read our guide to Evaluating Information
As you are likely to be running lots of searches, keeping track of what you find is important!
In most search tools there is a 'pin' or favourite tool to bookmark key resources. Folders allow you to organise your results further. To ensure access to your saved items after you have clicked away from the search engine, you usually need to create your own personal account.
You can also export your search results to reference management software such as Zotero or Mendeley, or use reference generators such as MyBib. Look for the citation export buttons in the search engine. To find out more, go to our Guide about Referencing Tools.
Have you thought about your reading strategies? And how useful do you find your notes?
As you find out more, you may find that you need to do more researching. Maybe you have you discovered new keywords to include or a different angle you want to follow up? The research process is cyclical and iterative, and this means you might have to do more brainstorming, searching and evaluating to fully explore your topic.
It can be difficult to know when to stop researching - you will never be able to read everything. At some point you will need to change focus and commit to writing up.
Perhaps the most time consuming part of academic writing is the research and it is important that you give yourself plenty of time to read widely, so plan ahead.
