Getting started on your assignment
This video shows a 5 step process to find information for your assignments1. What is your task? Do you have a clear understanding of what it is you need to do.
The Learning and Academic Skills Centre (LAS) have developed these useful resources.2. What background reading do you need to do?
You will need an understanding of the topic, knowing the key sources, and theories, where to look, who to ask and the keywords and concepts you are going to use to focus your task.
Start with the material recommended to you in lectures, textbooks, unit outlines and canvas.
There are many subject specific encyclopedias and handbooks in the
Library. Here are a few examples;
Write a detailed outline of the task. This outline or draft, will help you to
understand what information you need to find, then you can create a search strategy. A search strategy should include what information you need , where you might look, and keywords and phrases you have to begin.
3. Have you brainstormed or mindmapped your key terms and phrases?
This is essential to creating your search strategy, and you will collect more terms as you search.
- Developing keywords
- Use this simple tool to help you create a Mind Map and generate keywords for searching.
4. Are you clear about what information you need while you search?
As you search, keep on track and don’t be too distracted by irrelevant material. Only read the summaries or abstracts initially, before you decide to read the full text later.
- Ford, N 2012, Finding high-quality information, in The essential guide to using the web for research, SAGE Publications Ltd, London, pp. 37-53.
- Effective Literature Searching 2007 in R. Phelps, K. Fisher, & A. Ellis (eds.), Organizing and managing your research, SAGE Publications, Ltd, London,England, pp. 128-150.
- Video tutorial on searching Business Source Complete from SFU
Do you need academic articles? – Business Source Complete – Emerald – Proquest – Wiley Online Library
Do you need company information? See the Library Subject Guide for Companies.
Industry and Business sources? Business Source Complete – Proquest
– See the Library Subject Guide for Industry and market analysis.
Do you need industry and market intelligence? See the Library Subject Guide for Industry and market analysis.
- Do you need articles from quality media sources?
When searching on the web, evaluate information based on its currency, relevance, authority, accuracy and purpose.
5. Referencing. Are you collecting information about your sources as you use them?
Save full articles with the information you need to cite or reference them in your bibliography.
Key databases for journal articles
Business Source Complete peer reviewed and non-peer reviewed journals, trade and industry publications, and market research reports
Emerald peer reviewed articles and book chapters
Proquest from key journals, news publications, and videos to critical market research, company profiles, business plans, working papers, and small business resources