Essay Writing: Research

Good essay writing requires a considerable amount of reading. Reading is important to:

1. Understand the issue(s) referred to in the essay topic
2. Develop a view (an answer to the question) 
3. Gather examples and evidence to support the view that you will put forward

Your examples and evidence must be referenced using the referencing format required by your department.

This page deals with:

• How to effectively identify relevant sources 
• How to critically evaluate sources

We recommend that you undertake reading and research in two stages: first, read broadly and generally about your topic. Next, narrow down your reading to the specific issues that you will address in your essay. 

Start from general and basic texts 

• You can start from general introductions to understand fundamental concepts relating to your research topic.
• Use your reading list: which of the readings relate to the topic? Also check the "Further Reading" sections. 
• In the initial phase of research, keep an open mind. In fact, you can score in originality by looking into aspects of your topic that have been overlooked by others, or making connections that haven't been made.

Narrow down your topic and be selective 

Eventually, you should narrow down your research and only use sources which are relevant for your essay plan. 

• Take control of the literature. Don't let the literature control you! 
• Don't try to fit all the literature you find into your essay! 

Your objective is not to show that you have read lots of works but to show that you have understood the issue. Select the readings that you found most illuminating, form a view in response to the question and explain your view, referring to your reading. 

Try different search tools:

Library search: provides only academic, peer-reviewed sources. All these resources are accessible to you online and/or in the library. See our guide to Library Search.

Library subject guides: provide subject-specific research support, including access to subject-specific books, journals, databases, legal materials, archives etc. They also provide guidance on citing and referencing. Check your Library subject guide here. 

Google Scholar: provides scholarly results as well as technical reports from governments and other organisations, and other academically valuable sources like patents, theses etc. Offers 'forward citation tracking': you can look up a source and check who has cited it by clicking on 'cited by'. This can help you to find new sources on a topic. Not all resources on Google Scholar are peer-reviewed and reliable, however. See the library guide on using Google Scholar.

Internet (for example, Google): will give you the largest number of results, but most of the results will not be peer-reviewed and may not be reliable. You can possibly use it to develop a general overview of your research topic.

Contact your Academic Engagement Librarian: Academic Engagement Librarians can suggest resources, search tools and search techniques that can help you get a headstart on your research. You can find details of your Librarian here. 

When you're reading any source, it's important to approach your reading as an active and critical thinker. The sources should not be passively absorbed as 'undisputed fact'.

• How has an author structured their argument? How did they state their aim? How did they move from point to point?
• For every claim you encounter, ask 'how' and 'why'.
• What evidence has been offered?
• How has the author reasoned about this evidence?
• Could there be alternative explanations or interpretations of the evidence?
• How does this argument compare to the arguments of others? 
• What school of thought is the author working in? Are they approaching the issue from a certain perspective?

If you think carefully about the claims you encounter in your reading, you will be able to develop your own view on the issue, and discuss the views of others in a considered and convincing way. When lecturers tell you to use your reading rather than simply repeat the ideas in your reading, this is what they mean.

Check the guide on Critical Thinking for more information on Effective Reading and Critical Reading. The video below also offers helpful advice on approaching texts critically. 

As you read, make notes, keep track of your references and start building your bibliography. Check the guide on Citation and Referencing for guidance on referencing and plagiarism.