GEOS1100: Research skills: Plan your research

What are the requirements of the assignment task?

Don't start your assignment without first checking the requirements of the assessment task:

• What does the task require you to do?
• When is it due?
• Why has lecturer set this task?
• How does it fit in with the course objectives?
• How are the marks allocated?
• Where you will find relevant information?
• What kind of information should you use?

Once you are clear about the task, move on to the topic.

Topic analysis and background reading

Before you start your search for information you need to have a thorough understanding of the question. This is called Topic Analysis and it will help inform your search strategy.

1. Read the question carefully
2. Summarise the question in your own words
3. Identify the main issues
4. What do you already know about the topic?  Jot down a few ideas
5. Familiarise yourself further with the subject by doing some background reading on the topic.  (Hint - Google and Wikipedia are OK for an overview of your topic but not for research references)
6. When you understand the topic you can create a research question.

Here is an example of a research question.   You will be developing your own.

How does urban development impact on the water quality of Moreton Bay?

The next step is to plan a research strategy using the five step SKILL approach

Summarise - the question in a brief sentence or two

Keywords - identify the main subject words or phrases (keywords)

Identify - alternative words or expressions with the same or similar meaning (synonyms)

Link -  combine your keywords to create focused searches using AND and OR

Locate - find relevant primary texts using Library Search and databases

Now read Find quality information.