Top tips from other students

Here are some top tips from other students who've already completed their research project.

Do something you want to know more about, don't bother doing something if you don't care about it, it will be boring and stressful.

Reference sources as soon as you read them, record all your complete references so you just pick them out when you need them.

Definitely use the library staff and book a session with your subject librarian. It was very helpful.

Just start writing. If you're having a mental block, just start writing anything and all of a sudden things will come to you.

Use the referencing guides, they are very comprehensive and break down each reference clearly.

Start researching as early as possible. You don't need to have any idea what your specific topic is going to be but broad research around a topic that interests you will get the ball rolling so much quicker.

Use a variety of sources. I obviously read a lot of books but I also listened to podcasts, watch a lot of YouTube and closely followed the work of artists on Instagram to see what they're talking about. Not necessarily for direct use within the writing, but to understand broader discussions.

Do little by little I really regret not doing that. I overwhelmed myself in week one and stressed a lot. It's good to have a routine. Although I never did. I wish I did!

 Open up your research to many avenues, but ensure it is recognised as academic quality of research.

Don't worry about making Polish blocks of text at the start. Just rough outlines and key points always sign into Library Search. Otherwise it can seriously slow down your access to online sources.

See our Padlet on the Study Hub to find out other top tips from students who've completed their research

Transcribed by https://otter.ai