PREPARATORY TIPS

It is assumed that you have decided on your research topic, that it has been approved by your supervisor, and that you have already carried out a certain amount of background reading before submitting your research proposal. It is at this stage that an organized system for storing all information collected is needed.

The following tips are provided to help you organize your information and thus avoid wasting valuable time at a later date.

Tick those tips you feel are important for you to follow.

	Create a computer 'ideas file' into which you enter, in bullet points, any ideas you have, no matter how central or even peripheral to your topic.
	Read as much of the literature related to your field of study as you can.
	Search though the bibliography of each book or article you read to see if there are any new sources to explore.
	Request your supervisor to recommend to you several well-written FYPs from previous years. Note any aspect of the work that impresses you, as well as anything you do not like about the work.
	Get into the habit of keeping a full record of all books, articles, web sites, etc that you refer to by using the referencing style required by your department. Click here to obtain help with referencing.
	Record accurately any direct quote you feel might be useful and make sure you keep an accurate record of the page numbers. It is very time consuming if you have to try and retrieve such detail later.
	Develop a system for organizing and cataloguing all the books and articles you read. Different references will relate to different topics of your research. Use a coding system to identify the particular topic area.
	Develop a system for filing printed articles and notes so that they are readily retrievable.
	Aim to read original studies wherever possible rather than simply references to them.
	Read all references critically. Just because they have been published does not necessarily mean that the information is 100% accurate.