It might seem obvious, but the first step is to make sure you understand the topic.

1) Identify the main concepts or keywords in your question to help you develop a search strategy.

2) Work out why the topic is being offered. Is it:

controversial ? complicated? what makes the topic interesting?

Use dictionaries and encyclopaedias to find definitions and background information. Articles from specialized subject encyclopaedias are authoritative and often substantial.

Read more on:

• reference resources for Russian

• How much information do you need? Lecturers often give guidelines on the number of sources you should use.
• Do you need current information or is older material relevant? Sometimes you might need both, as you might have to give both the historic background and the current thinking on a topic.
• Do you need primary sources that give an original accounts from the time and place, or secondary sources which are interpretations of someone else's work?

If you don't understand what you have to do for an assignment, ask your lecturer, your tutor or someone at the Academic Skills Centre.

The catalogue lists journal titles, but not the titles of the articles inside the journals. To find these you'll need to search the recommended databases for Russian (see above left).

 

More...

 

If you can't find the kind of information you want on these databases, ask a subject librarian - we can help you choose the right database and the right keywords to use.

References recommended on reading lists will already have been evaluated for quality. You'll need to evaluate sources that you find yourself. Think critically about the information you find. The quality of your information has an effect on the quality of your assignment.

 

Read more on:
evaluating your sources

Visit the Academic Skills Centre for workshops and/or personal help with writing your essay.