2. Learning Outcomes
To…
• Develop the research skills you already have
• Increase your understanding of where you can find
information
• Be able to assess the quality of the information you find
• Reference what you find
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3. What are Research Skills?
Being able to find information and use it
effectively
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4. How do you plan an assignment?
a) Think about
what you have
been asked to do c) List key d) Browse the LC
b) Set catalogue & the
words
yourself a Internet
timetable of
work
e) Keep a
record of what g) Write up
you have found an outline
f) Look through
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have found
5. Where can you find the information
for an assignment?
The Internet is not the only way to
research!!!!!
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6. Where can you find the information for an assignment?
(Continued)
Books & e-books Newspapers Lesson
Your Tutor
Handouts
City Bit
Atlases
Travel Guides
TV Programmes
Magazines/ Existing
Learning Centre
Journals Essays &
Staff
Reports
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7. Where can you find the information for an assignment? (Continued)
Click here
for the
Information
Station
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8. Where can you find the information for an
assignment? (Continued)
RSW 2012 Information Station link.
9. How can I make the most of search
engines?
Country Specific.
You can limit your search to the UK by
searching your subject like this
e.g. Building Regulations: UK
You can also search for your topic and a
country
e.g. Colleges: Japan
General Searches
Type in exactly what it is you are looking for
e.g. Southampton City College If that doesn‟t
bring up what you want, try to think of
different ways to find the same thing
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e.g. Colleges in Southampton
10. How can I make the most of search
engines?
Quotation Marks, Question
Marks & Dates
If you still can‟t find what you
want try using “ “, ? or a specific
date
e.g. “Southampton City College” /
Where is Southampton City
College? / Southampton City
College in 1992
These narrow you search down
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11. What websites can I use?
The Big Thr3e
Wikipedia Google Bing
http://en.wikipedia.org http://www.google.co.uk http://www.bing.com
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12. What websites can I use?
But did you know about…
Google Scholar Kartoo Exalead
http://scholar.google.com http://www.kartoo.com/ http://www.exalead.com/search/
Others include:
uk.ask.com uk.altavista.com uk.search.yahoo.com
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13. What do you do with the information
once you‟ve got it?
Is the information:
Reliable?
Who wrote it? - Are they an expert in the subject? Is the author well
known? Has the information been published by an individual or a
company?
Objective?
Is it biased from a certain point of view? What motive does the author
have for writing the information?
Valid?
Is it fact or opinion? Is it backed up by research or references?
From this Country?
This is particularly important in relation to law and regulations or
health and safety.
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14. What details will tell me if it‟s
reliable, valid, objective and relevant?
Books & Journals
Assess the quality of your book or journal
•How old is the information?
• Is there newer information you should be looking at?
• Has the book/journal been published by an individual or a
company?
• Is the author well-known?
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15. What details will tell me if it‟s
reliable, valid, objective and relevant?
Websites
•Assess the quality of the website
•How old is the information?
•When was it last updated?
•Who designed the website & why?
•Check the „URL‟ address
•Check the „About Us‟ section
•Check the „Contact Us‟ section
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16. Activity
• Given what you‟ve just been told, can you
evaluate whether this information is
reliable, objective and valid?
Research Skills Activity
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17. 8. What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism happens when you pass off someone
else‟s work, ideas and words as your own.
For example, if you copy and paste information from
a website without referencing it you are committing
plagiarism. The next section will explain how you
can still use other people‟s work without
plagiarising.
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18. 9. Why should I reference
my work?
“Credit where credit‟s due”
Referencing = Giving credit to the person who originally came up with the idea.
To do this…
Mention the name of the person that you are quoting as you go through
your assignment
At the end of your assignment, list all the books/websites etc you have
used. This is called a „Bibliography‟.
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19. 10. How do I reference?
a) Referencing Within Your Writing
If a quote fits naturally in your sentence, place the date of publication and
page number of the book in brackets. Follow this with your quote in quotation
marks. For example:
According to Smith (2008, p18) you must “put things that you haven‟t
said in quotation marks”
If the author‟s name doesn‟t fit into your sentence, put the author‟s name in
brackets before the date and page number. For example:
“It would be better to use an author that is an expert on a subject.”
(Jones 2006, p6)
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20. How Do I Reference?
b)The Bibliography
Books
The author‟s surname, followed by their initial
(The year of publication in brackets)
The title of the book in italics
The book‟s edition
The place of publication: followed by the publisher‟s name
It should look like this…
Martin, A. (2011) The Research Skills Workshop, 2nd
Edition, Southampton: SCC Publishers.
Magazines and Journals
The author‟s surname, followed by their initial
(The year of publication in brackets)
“The title of the article in quotation marks”
The title of the journal or magazine in italics
(The volume number/issue number in brackets)
The pages on which the article is found.
It should look like this…
Barnett, M. (2010) „Enhancing the customer experience‟, Management
Today, 37(2), pp.35-39.
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21. How Do I Reference?
b)The Bibliography
Websites
The author‟s surname, followed by their initial
Date of publication
The title of the website in italics
The full web address
(The date that you accessed the website in brackets)
It should look like this…
Ireland, J. (2011) The Research Skills Workshop. Available at
www.southampton-city.ac.uk (Accessed: 6 January 2011).
Television
Title of programme in italics
(Year of transmission in brackets)
Name of channel
Date of transmission
It should look like this…
Torchwood (2011) BBC 1 Television, 16 September.
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22. 11. Where do I find the information for
referencing?
Books Websites
Look at… Look at…
• The Second Page In Journals/Magazines • The Site Map
• The Contents Page • The „About Us‟ Section
Look at…
• The Index • The Very Top or
• The Front Cover
Bottom of the Page
• The Very First or Last Page
• The Contents Page
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23. Remember…
• Plan your assignment
• Keep a record of the things you look at
• Quote directly or paraphrase
• Information for reference can be found on
the second page of most books & the
inside page of journals
And…
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