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At Uni you're more than likely to be asked to write assignments using academic resources.
These sources can be books, ebooks, journals and reports.
The first place most people look for this information is in places like Google or Wikipedia.
Most of the time if you search for basic keywords from your assignment, you will get results.
However, this is not always the best thing to do.
Places like Wikipedia and Google provide a huge amount of resources and allow you to access a tonne of full text,...
...yet the information is not always of a scholarly, academic or peer-reviewed nature.
When using these sites you cannot be sure of where the information comes from, and who the contributors to the sources are.
Even if you are able to identify who produced this information, it can be a nightmare trying to find what is actually correct.
Using incorrect resources can lead to poor grades.
Even worse, the use of some resources means you can be in more trouble than you ever thought possible.
So what should you be using?
The first and best place to look for resources is the Library search box.
You'll find this on the Library webpage, vUWS, and often times as part of your reading list.
The Library search box provides access to millions of full text journal articles, ebooks and reports of an academic nature,...
...and available freely online.
Simply enter a term, and use the facets on the left to refine your results.
Sometimes you'll be asked to only look for a certain type of item, or you'll be asked to only look at one source.
Whatever the case, you should always analyse your results.
Some key things to look at are...
...the author.
Can you identify who wrote the article? Is this person an academic at a university, or is this article written by a professional body?
The source.
Are you looking at something written for a company? Is it from a university, or is it a personal viewpoint?
Where the article comes from will tell you alot about its content and if there is any bias.
As much as possible you should aim for items produced by professional or academic bodies.
Currency.
Old research can sometimes be incorrect and misleading.
You need to look for the most current information in the area you are researching.
You can do this by looking at the date created, if the source has been updated, and when it was copyrighted.
Bias.
All of your sources should be of an impartial nature.
The information included should be balanced, and provide different points of view.
Always look for a critical analysis and assessment.
Accuracy.
If the information presented looks wrong, it probably is!
Try and find research that has factual or statistical information supporting what is presented.
A big clue is whether or not the person has included references, and whether or not these references are any good.
Still confused?
Then the best people to ask are your Lecturer, Tutor, or the staff in the Libraries.
For more information, please visit the Library website or talk to a staff member in person.