Research : improve your reading and referencing skills

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

For students who need to improve their reading and referencing skills

This guide fully explains you the skills students need for successful academic reading and referencing. They will learn how to choose the right sources, access information, think critically when reading texts, and make concise notes.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Introduction (p. 6)
• Chapter 1 Getting started (p. 8)
• Understand the purpose of research
• Learn how your research will be marked
• Learn about the research process
• Interpret set essay questions
• Write an essay question of your own
• Chapter 2 Accessing information (p. 22)
• Find information in the library
• Use databases
• Search effectively with key words
• Make the most of the library
• Make good use of the internet for research
• Chapter 3 Choosing the right source material (p. 36)
• Choose academically credible materials
• Know who the experts are
• Recognize what makes a text academic
• Choose relevant materials
• Manage your materials
• Chapter 4 Academic texts (p. 46)
• Recognize the key features of a textbook
• Learn how to use monographs and edited volumes
• Understand how journal articles and reports are organized
• Chapter 5 Reading strategies (p. 56)
• Choose the right reading strategy for your purpose
• Read quickly for a general overview
• Read quickly for specific information
• Deal with unfamiliar vocabulary
• Read complex and difficult sentences
• Chapter 6 Reading more efficiently (p. 66)
• Improve your concentration when reading
• Guess the meaning of unfamiliar words from context
• Improve your reading speed
• Chapter 7 Reading critically (p. 78)
• Define critical thinking in your study context
• Distinguish fact from opinion
• Reflect critically on your own views
• Critically evaluate reading texts
• Chapter 8 Making notes (p. 88)
• Use a variety of note-making styles
• Make concise notes
• Organize and store notes for easy retrieval
• Chapter 9 Writing an outline (p. 100)
• Write outlines for different types of essay
• Devise an effective argument
• Structure introductions and conclusions
• Chapter 10 Using sources (p. 112)
• Learn how to integrate source material into your essay
• Decide whether to quote, paraphrase or summarize
• Learn how to quote correctly
• Learn how to paraphrase and summarize
• Chapter 11 Referencing (p. 122)
• Recognize different referencing systems
• Reference using an author-date system
• Reference with footnotes
• Know when a reference is and is not needed
• Chapter 12 Finding your voice (p. 132)
• Use sources correctly
• Use sources effectively
• Express your opinion in your essay
• Chapter 13 Writing up (p. 140)
• Get started with your first draft
• Stay on topic
• Use assessment criteria to redraft
• Prepare the final draft
• Reference list (p. 150)
• Appendices
• Appendix 1 Critical reading checklist (p. 153)
• Appendix 2 Instruction words (p. 155)
• Appendix 3 Prefixes, suffixes and roots (p. 157)
• Glossary (p. 168)
• Answer key (p. 176)