Welcome to the Research Skills LibGuide. This guide explains the main steps involved when you are researching a topic.
Research can be defined as "the systematic investigation into materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions ". (Oxford Dictionaries). Research is a process with defined steps that are completed over time, depending on the level and complexity of your study.
The research process usually includes :
Step 1 Defining and analysing your topic (if you have been given an assignment topic), or developing a topic for research (if you are taking higher level studies and conducting new research.)
Step 2. Developing search strategies that will lead to relevant information on your topic.
Step 3 . Finding good quality information sources.
Step 4. Exploring the different forms of information available. What's the difference between popular and scholarly information? Or between primary and secondary sources?
Step 5. Evaluating your information. Use key indicators to check if your sources are reliable and appropriate for use in your assignments.
Step 6. Writing and referencing. Presenting your research in an appropriate writing style (e.g. report, essay, case study), and appropriately referencing the sources you have used.
Click to learn more about Primary and secondary sources
