Part 02 - Researching Your Topic

Having thought carefully about what you are being asked to do, the next stage is to gather your evidence. It is worth saying straight away that you should jot down the details of all and any resources to which you refer – either directly or indirectly – because plagiarism is a major concern and it is easy to plagiarise without meaning to. It’s simple to forget where your ideas start, and someone else’s end.”

It is a good idea to begin to compile an alphabetical list of all books used at this stage as this will save you time with your referencing and bibliography later, as well as helping you to keep track of where you sourced your evidence. Remember to present this in the academic style required, as there is considerable difference between the requirements of say, Harvard referencing and MLA - seek advice on the referencing style required before beginning. (Most referencing styles will allow for the use of abbreviations but the first time a book is quoted the full details should be given.)

Try to strike a balance between the evidence that supports your own ideas and those which appear to contradict you. Remember, a good essay presents a balanced case and displays an awareness of all points of view (within reason), not just those that agree with your own!