Where to start looking for information

The key places to start looking for information are:

• lecture notes
• introductory textbooks
• discipline dictionaries
• subject reading lists
• bibliographies: using the springboard technique
• review chapters and articles
• abstract and index journal databases
• newspapers and current affairs magazines
• statistical information
• the internet

Using your lecture notes

Lecture notes are a good starting point as they identify key authors, theories and concepts. These can be used to help narrow your search for information. Lecture notes should be used as a guide only. Don't rewrite your lecture notes straight into your essay. As explained in earlier, it is generally unacceptable to use your lecture notes as the source of material in your essays because it is difficult to verify.

Introductory textbooks

If your subject has a textbook or prescribed readings, check to see if material relevant to your essay topic is covered there. It is surprising how many students ignore the relevant parts of their textbook or prescribed readings when looking for information. Other introductory textbooks are also useful as they are generally easy to read and provide summaries of key topic areas. Find introductory books on your subject and scan the content and index pages for relevant material, using the keywords you uncovered by brainstorming and mind mapping. Introductory books are likely to give you an idea of the range of research and explanations on your particular topic. Don't just stop at one introductory book; look at a few, as their coverage will vary. Even if you end up not using them in your essay, introductory books can help to clarify what you should be looking for. Many introductory books also include suggested lists of further reading which are also worth considering.

Discipline dictionaries

Most disciplines have specialised dictionaries, such as those for economics, politics, communication studies, biology, nursing, law, sociology and anthropology. Such dictionaries provide brief summaries of concepts, theories and theorists. They often give references to other related entries in the dictionary and for further reading. If you intend to major in a particular discipline, it is advisable to purchase a copy of the relevant dictionary. However, most libraries will have copies.

Subject reading lists

Some lecturers will provide a reading list to guide your research, and they may even place some of the material in your library on reserve or short loan. If your lecturer or tutor has gone to the trouble of doing so, it is probably wise to look at what's on offer. While there may be many books on a reading list, remember that you are not expected to read whole books; often only a chapter, or even a few pages, may be relevant to your essay. Use the content and index pages to help find what you need. A word of caution: reading lists are not exhaustive and you may find better and more up-to-date information which is not on the reading list. By all means consult the lists, but don't rely solely on them.

Bibliographies: The springboard technique

A good way to find more information on a topic is to use the books used by other authors. Once you find a couple of books or articles, have a look at their bibliography or reference lists. In this way you can see which books or articles the authors have consulted and you can look up these references yourself.

Of course, not all the references used by the authors you read will be relevant. If you come across a section in a book or an article which is relevant to your essay, note which authors are referenced and find them in the bibliography. Check the title and the publication details (such as when and where they were published) to help determine their relevance, and then look up the original source yourself. In this way you can use the references of other authors as a springboard to finding more information.

Review chapters and articles

Review chapters and articles are published regularly and can be used to springboard to other relevant sources of information. Systematic reviews of specific topics can be found in Annual Review journals (discussed below) and edited books.

Keyword searches

Once you have consulted introductory textbooks, a discipline dictionary, subject reading lists (where available) and tried the springboard technique, you should have a good idea of the key writers, ideas and theories your essay has to cover. These act as signposts or keywords when you search for more information. Think of the keywords around a particular topic or concept and plug them into your library computer, CD-ROM or internet database.