Researching the topic
- Planning
Create a preliminary plan for how you are going to find the reliable information you need: identify which trusted resources will be most helpful and relevant, and where and how they can be found. - Obtaining reliable information
Explore various resources using internet search engines and library databases.
Remember to record information about the resources you are using. Write down the names of authors, book/journal titles, web addresses etc so these can be used as references later, if you decide to use them.
Keep in mind that there are many unreliable sources of information on the internet that may not simply be factually wrong but may be deliberately misleading. Think about who wrote what you are reading – has what they are telling you been authenticated? How informed are they really? Is this just opinion? Have the images you are seeing been manipulated? Remember that any answers to your research questions that have been generated by AI are based on likelihood, not on factual correctness; these should NOT be used as research sources though they may be helpful in generating ideas. Above all, you must take responsibility for the information you include in your own work being authentic and truthful.
Strategies for accessing information and use of search engines - Reading strategies, source information and source criticism
You need various types of information on the topic you have chosen. You can acquire information through observation, experience, and systematic data collection. Different types of factual texts help you to understand and get an overview of your subject and identify key concepts.
To make your information search more efficient and your studies go as smoothly as possible, you should learn different reading techniques. In your studies, you need both the ability to skim through text and skills for in-depth and critical reading.
Reading strategies
Assignment suggestion 1:
Practise searching for sources of information on the topic you are discussing in class or as an assignment. You can conduct the exercise as a competition and compete to see who can find the requested authoritative sources the fastest.
Assignment suggestion 2:
Look for two or three different sources on the topic discussed in class or in the assignment. One that is reliable and suitable for use in the assignment, one that is reliable but irrelevant, and one that is completely unreliable and irrelevant for the assignment. Read the texts and then discuss how to determine if a source is reliable and appropriate and what makes a source unreliable.
