Researching and Reading Critically

One of the skills that essays assess is the independent research and reading that you have done. This involves going beyond your notes and reading scholarly and credible texts to support your argument. Start this process by identifying key texts that might be relevant to your question by referring to your module reading list or use the library resources and services to locate appropriate and reliable evidence.

For your assignments you should always start with your module reading list. Here you will find  content prioritised and curated by your lecturers that they have signposted for your reading. This reading should help satisfy the learning outcomes of the module, and guide you through appropriate reading material.

It is impossible to suggest how many sources should be used in the development of an assignment, but it is not good practice to heavily rely on one type of resource, or to overuse one information source as a padding out mechanism.

Generally speaking academic sources fall into three main categories- Academic texts, Journal Articles and Grey Literature.

Academic texts, are books published by credible, expert authors, and can be found in the library, and accessed both in print and online. Journal articles, are generally peer-reviewed research articles that provide up to date insights in to the research field.  Journal articles can be found in the Library databases. Grey literature represents non-academic, but authoritative sources, such as professional reports or government statistics that can be found on the internet.

Ask your Subject Librarian for help around identifying and using literature.

You should approach your reading in a strategic way when researching.

Plan for what you should read and locate it in the Library.

As you carry out your research you will need to keep track of what you find, both to help you plan your essay and to ensure that you acknowledge all of the sources that you've used. Use RefWorks or other bibliographic management software to help manage your citations.

Ensure that you correctly acknowledge all information sources, and have use quotes, paraphrasing and summarising appropriately, adequately and effectively.

Thinking critically requires us to go beyond the surface of the information and apply and analyse.

This means that our reading and note making needs to show analysis and evaluation too.

Remember academic writing is about making an answer not finding an answer, so reading and note making need to reflect this. When reading, ask questions of the text.

• Who wrote it?
• When?
• Who is the intended audience?
• Does it link with other material you've studied in the module?
• Why do you think it was written?
• Is it an excerpt from a longer piece of text?

Notes should mirror your critique, probing questions, and critical comments.