Library Skills

Choosing Your Words

Paragraphs

A well-paragraphed essay signals a careful, organised writer (a good way to pick up marks!) and so it is worth making sure that you have done everything you can to improve them.

Using Quotations

Using direct quotes in essays is a great way to support your ideas with concrete evidence and to make your argument come alive. Also, it helps to support your research topic.

Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing means rewriting the same information in a different way. It helps you better to integrate the ideas into the particular piece you are writing.

Introductions - How to Begin

An essay introduction is your roadmap for the entire essay. It is a beginning paragraph that sets the tone and path for the entire paper you are going to present to your reader. A good introduction to an essay catches attention and makes your reader engaged right from the very start.

To Conclude...

The function of the essay's conclusion is to restate the main argument. It reminds the reader of the strengths of the argument: that is, it reiterates the most important evidence supporting the argument. 

Writing a Literature Review

A literature review is both a summary and explanation of the complete and current state of knowledge on a limited topic as found in academic books and journal articles. It is an important part of any research project, as it sets your research in context and identifies how it fits with the research that has been done before.

Checklist for a literature review

Have I:

• outlined the purpose and scope?
• identified appropriate and credible (academic/scholarly) literature?
• recorded the bibliographical details of the sources?
• analysed and critiqued your readings?
• identified gaps in the literature and research?
• explored methodologies / theories / hypotheses / models?
• discussed the varying viewpoints?
• written an introduction, body and conclusion?
• checked punctuation and spelling?

Further Resources

Activities

The following resources are online activities to further develop your knowledge and skills.