Essays: library tips for smart researching Starting a research project can seem a daunting task. However, researching efficiently and effectively is a skill: in this booklet, we want to share our tried and tested tips on how to make your research project more efficient and less stressful for you. STEP 1: Find the right keywords ( i.e. start to think and use the language/terminology that academics use because this is where the most authoritative information is) Finding the right keywords means that you can find the most relevant information sources more quickly. A lot of students just start with typing their keywords on Google without a clear keywords strategy: this is by far the most time-consuming way of researching. You can make this process less time-consuming and more effective by planning and organising your keywords. Your Librarians’ recommendations:
Find a book which is about your research subject and use the index and table of contents to collect useful keywords, alternative terminology, any acronyms, etc. Books are written by academics and already use the most appropriate and relevant terminology for that subject.
The majority of our academic databases (JSTOR, Questia, EBSCO) automatically suggest alternative words or associated concepts linked to your keywords (Ask the Librarian for a demonstration)
Collect and keep track of all these keywords in one place, especially if you are using Google or other search engines: a lot of students forget what combination of keywords they have used in the past and they cannot find it anymore when needed again. Keywords tracker Relevant people, places, dates Keywords/phrases possible variations Collect these as you read your sources Remember variations such as alternative spellings, acroand then combine dates, peoples’ name nyms & foreign language versions Possible bias / Contrasting points of Search notes: record search engine + keywords used esp. if you use Advanced Search. Tips for view Advanced Search include: Does this topic/subject have authors/ academics with contrasting points of PHRASES IN QUOTATION MARKS view? BOOLEAN (AND/OR/NOT) Bias: is the information source objective WILDCARD (substitute letters with * or ? for flexibility or does it present just a one side of an – globali?ation)
STEP 2: Make full use of the academic databases that our school subscribes to. The library subscribes to a very good range of academic databases, which include scholastic journal articles, ebooks, primary and secondary sources (speeches, statistical data, etc.). You can find these resources in the Memorial Library KLP page— Browse resources (A-Z)
Library resources to support your academic research JSTOR Academic database: you need to register for a personal account from a school computer. EBSCO databases: History Reference Center, Literary Reference Center, Science Reference Center. Login for the whole school: Username: KCollege / Password: school Questia academic database: to access Questia, use your school email address and the password "wimbledon". Questia is accessible to Sixth Form students only. NHS Evidence Search: Medicine database (no login required) Encyclopaedias available: Britannica, Oxford Dictionaries Online (Biographies, Art, Music, English) Ebooks databases: Very Short Introductions, Cambridge Companions Online (for just Humanities subjects), Connell Guides (Literature), Overdrive (all subjects, through Merton Public Libraries), Project Gutenberg (free ebooks for titles out of copyright) Digital Periodicals/Magazines: New Scientist, Financial Times, History Today, eMag (Advanced English & Media), Geographical, Hodder magazines (History Review, Biological Sciences Review, etc), RB Digital (all subject magazines through Merton Public Libraries) Newspapers: search our Newspapers for Schools archive Primary sources: Questia, Government websites and National institutions
STEP 3: Keep track of all your references from the beginning.
Avoiding plagiarism and correctly referencing can be confusing, time-consuming and stressful if you do not keep track all of your sources. Here are our recommendations to make it easier for you:
Know the referencing style that you need to use and stick to it. Ask your supervisor if they have a preference, otherwise just choose one or ask the librarian for a recommendation.
Always keep track of all your references/citations as you go along. This is absolutely vital because it can be extremely time-consuming to find them afterwards!
Find an online tool/app to help you with all your citations and references for your bibliography: ex. Questia reference centre, Cite this for me, EasyBib, etc.
Visit the Memorial Library KLP page for our guides to referencing and quoting with quick video tutorials, advice on how to quote all types of sources (blog, website, ebook, etc.) and more.
Finding resources for your research (1)
Finding resources for your research (2)
Text
Footnotes with the Chicago style:
Book
Journal article
Website
Text
In-text references (i.e. Harvard, MLA): In your essay you need to refer to the ideas that you have read in your report. To do this your need to put in a citation when you use a direct quotation and a reference, when you mention someone else’s ideas but do not quote them directly.
These in-text references link the reader to the sources that you have listed in your bibliography so they know how to find the original piece of information that you have used. In your writing, the reference is just the author’s surname and the publication date if you refer to an idea and the page number (if one exists) if you
This is the list of information sources you have used to produce your work which is usually placed at the end of your essay. They may be books, magazines or periodicals, webpages, blogs, reviews etc. (any source of information that you have used).
To help the reader find your sources, they are listed alphabetically by author’s surname (if there is no named author then you can use the company that produced the work). There are different systems or styles that you can use – the important point is to be consistent! There are websites that will help you to generate your bibliography in the correct format, which can help save you time and effort.
Struggling to find a suitable or interesting topic for your essay? Discover our collection of extended essay past titles where you can browse, view and read other students’ past essays for inspiration.
You can find the list of essay titles organised by subject on the Library KLP page—Academic Research—Past Extended essay titles page
You can request to physically view and read the essays in the library, just ask the Librarians.
Frequently Asked Questions What is plagiarism and why is important to avoid it? This is the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own. Any concept, idea, opinion, statistical data, etc. taken from an external information source must be referenced and acknowledged : i.e. the reader of your essay must be able to easily track the source/author. This is also a way for your supervisor to evaluate the quality of your sources: what are the credentials of your sources? How recent is your source? Is your source biased or unbiased? Etc. What reference style should I use? Our advice is to check whether your supervisor has a preference first. If this is not the case, you can speak to us or just choose one of the many reference styles available (Harvard, MLA, Chicago, MHRA, etc). Should I reference and add to my bibliography sources like pictures and graphs? Yes and do not forget to add the reference details underneath. How do I reference less common sources? Please visit our KLP page—Reference and Quoting section where you will find clear guidelines on how to cite and reference less usual sources.