CUG Libraries - Research Techniques: Selecting Resources

Books (and ebooks) can introduce a topic, provide an overview and explain key theories and concepts. Books might be wholly written by one or more authors (these are sometimes called monographs), or might be edited collections of chapters on a wider topic where each chapter has different authors.

For research projects, monographs may be useful within the introduction or when 'setting the scene' for research, and specific authored chapters may appear as part of the literature review. As it is uncommon for books to represent the latest research on a topic, they are not typically heavily-used in research projects outside of these contexts.

Journal articles are short papers, focused on a very specific topic, published within journals that cover  areas including that topic. Articles go into more detail than a textbook, but are generally focused on very particular circumstances or focused segments of a wider subject.

Journal articles generally provide more up-to-date and cutting-edge research than books; for this reason, the majority of evidence in a research project (particularly secondary, literature review-based projects) is derived from journal articles.

Statistics and data add proof to your research, and can be used on their own or in conjunction with other sources to advance your argument. When using statistics, it is best practice to access the original statistical source rather than relying on reported statistics (in a newspaper article for example). Ensure that you are drawing statistics from reliable sources and correctly represent the scope and range of the data presented.

Quantitative research projects generally make greater use of statistical evidence, but it can also appear to reinforce statements and arguments in qualitative studies.

Websites can be helpful, but when you're using them always consider if the author (person or company) is an expert in their field, or if the website is appropriate to use in the context of your work. Consider the reliability and authority of any web sources you plan to use in research projects, and only use general web content where peer-reviewed or rigorously-edited materials on the topic in question are not available.

Whilst online content (e.g. reports, official documents and professional body guidance) is likely appear in the reference list for a research project, only a small number of these sources will typically be websites.

News articles (from newspapers or news websites) can provide up-to-date examples to illustrate theories you are researching, as well as giving perspectives on an issue. Be careful with using them as your only source to support a claim, as many newspapers have a strong editorial stance which may lead to biased reporting.

News articles do not typically appear in research projects, though they may be used to illustrate a new context which research publications have not yet been able to cover.

To produce high quality work you need to use accurate, up to date and reliable information from a variety of suitable sources. These five simple steps will help you. 

Spend time thinking about exactly what it is you are looking for. Does your information need to be specific to a country? What is the earliest date that would be relevant? What different terms might people use to refer to the same thing. eg. marketing, sales, advertising etc.?

Try your search terms in a number of different places. Use Locate, a subject specific database, a text book, a blog from an expert; don't just use Google!

Ask yourself questions about the resources. Who has written this? Why was it written? Is it factual or an opinion piece? How does it compare to other sources?

Keep a clear record of your results so that you can find them again. Your internet history can only get you so far... You can also use a reference management system to save references as you go.

Use the best results from your first searches to suggest new searches. For example, you could look at a specific author who comes up a lot or a term or phrase that recurred in your initial search.