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At this later stage of your research, when you have formed the focus areas you want to follow, you are looking for deeper and more pertinent information. This means you need a different kind of non-fiction text.  Again, you have a choice -  between print and electronic versions, like a book, or a webpage or a journal article. 

Your focus at this later stage of research is very specific.

Once you know what three sub-questions you need to answer, start finding primary and secondary sources that provide quotes that will help you answer these questions. 

Set up your reference list 

A list of all cited source materials, known as a reference list, must be included at the end of your essay.

They are divided into two sections: primary sources and secondary sources. Each of these sections need to be in alphabetical order.

Each bibliographical reference needs:

• the author's last name followed by their first initial(s)

• the year of publication

• the name of the work (in italics)

• the publication details

Bibliography v Reference List

Depending on the assessment task, you will either be asked to create a bibliography or a reference list. Here are the differences between the two:

A bibliography lists all of the materials that have been consulted during your research, regardless of whether or not you've quoted from them

A reference list states only the sources that you've quoted in your assignment

Regardless of which you're required to create, you must follow the formatting shown below.

Correct Format for Different Source Types

These examples use the popular APA (American Psychological Association) referencing style. 

Sample Reference List

Start with the web

Interrogating a webpage

Before: 

How will I find a relevant webpage for my topic?

•What are my search terms?

•Are they effective?  Do I need to change them?

•I have 300,000 hits!  How will I know which ones are relevant? Do I still need to change my search terms, or use Advanced Search to restrict my search? For example, I might exclude .com results, or specify a date range. 

During: 

There is one website that appears to be of direct relevance to my area of interest –

•What questions do I hope this website will answer?

•Will I scan the website for content headings, hyperlinks, introduction, conclusions that might tell me its scope and relevance to my questions.

•How will I know if this website is accurate? 

•How will I know if this website is authoritative?

•Can I rely on the truth of the information in this website?

•Does it appear biased?

•Are there so many advertisements as to suggest unreliability or bias?

The website meets the above criteria, now I am to read it:

•Is there a general statement about the content of the webpage at the beginning?

•Will I read through each section in a linear fashion like a print text first?

•How will I choose hyperlinks to visit?

•How will I remember to return to the home page at the beginning and the end of my research?

•Does it matter that this website might never exist in its current form again?

•Will I stop as each new concept is introduced and see if I’ve understood it? 

•Is the author presenting a point of view?

•Is that point of view well supported?

•Can I detect bias in this webpage?

•Does this webpage force me to ask new questions?  What are they?

After:

How can I explain (to myself or another) what I’ve learnt from this webpage?

•How will I record this understanding? 

•Have I written down the bibliographic details for my reference list? Or have I recorded these details on on an online generator?

•Have I stored interesting quotes I might later follow?  Have I included the URL where the quote appears?

•What concepts are still unclear to me?

•What are the big ideas in this topic? Does this website add to my list of big ideas?

•What part of this topic is becoming very interesting to me?

•What further questions do I have?

•What can I add to my list of search terms? 

Remember: 

When you are reading from a website, and are not just skimming for relevance, but have found one of direct relevance, you will need to take notes.  You question the reliability of information particularly on  websites. After you’ve read some books and websites, you are able to see some recurring big ideas in this topic. You identify the key  emphases in the website you are reading.  You are beginning to be able to connect these ideas to the broad topic you are interesting in.  

How to find ancient history sources online

Then go to the library

Interrogating a print non-fiction text

Before: 

I already know quite a lot about my topic, and I have formed some search terms and broad concepts.  What are my search terms?

•What does the library catalogue entry for this book tell me? What keywords does it have in the catalogue record?

•Can I read a review of this book? 

•Does the review tell me about the author and his/her reputation?

•What does the review of the book tell me about its content? Does it look as if it will be relevant?

•Does my teacher/teacher librarian know this book? If so, what can he/she tell me about it?

•What do I want to find out from this book?

•Is this book suitable for my purpose? Is it too complex?  Is it too easy? Is it relevant?

•Will the table of contents help me?  Will the index contain my search terms?

•What is my purpose in reading this book?

•What parts can I leave out?

•What kind of reading will I bring to this text?  Will it be a close reading of highly relevant extracts? And skimming of irrelevant parts?

During: 

There is one chapter of direct relevance to my area of interest –

• Will I first do a scan of the whole chapter? What do the chapter headings and conclusions tell me?  Which parts must I read closely to get an answer to my questions?

• Is there a summary at the beginning?

• I need to pay close attention to this chapter, as it is of direct relevance to my area of interest. Will I then read the whole chapter closely?

• Will I stop at the end of each section and see if I’ve understood it? 

• How will I record this understanding? Shall I make a mind map, make dot points, create a table?

• Have I written down the bibliographic details for my reference list? Or have I recorded these details on an online generator.

• Have I stored interesting quotes I might later follow?  Have I included the page number where the quote is?

• Is the author presenting a point of view?

• Is that point of view well supported?

• Can I detect bias in this writing?

• Does this chapter force me to ask new questions? 

• What are they?

After:

How can I explain (to myself or another) what I’ve learnt from this chapter?

• Shall I make a mind map, make dot points, create a table?

• What concepts are still unclear to me?

• What part of this topic is becoming very interesting to me?

• What further questions do I have?

• What can I add to my list of search terms? 

Remember: 

When you are reading from a non-fiction text, print or electronic, you need to begin to take notes. Your notes will list and categorise the main concepts in the text. They will leave out any parts of the text that are not relevant to your interest.  Your notes should include questions that arise from reading this text. 

Finally - use academic journal articles

Interrogating a journal article

You have chosen to read a journal article because there is quite a lot you already know about your topic.  You’ve read a lot already, and have a good idea of the main concepts in your topic.  You have created an inquiry question. So now, your search is for pertinent information, rather than broad information.  You are likely to encounter long pieces of text, requiring close reading

Before: 

•What can the structure of this article tell me about its content and its relevance to my search?

•What does the abstract say? Is it pertinent to my inquiry question?

•How does the layout of the article help me?  Are there headings throughout?  Are there long chunks without breaks? 

•Is there information about the author available?  Are there reviews of his other works? What can they tell me about this article?

During:

I’ve printed out this article:

•How will I annotate it?

•Will I highlight chunks of text? Will this highlighting make sense to me when I return to the text tomorrow?

•Will I use the left and right margins to write words and phrases?  Will I write questions on one side and use symbols to capture the relevant parts on the other side of the page?

I haven’t printed out this article:

•Will I highlight chunks of text with the Review/Comment function?  Will this highlighting make sense to me when I return to the text tomorrow?

•Will I use the Review/Comment function to ask questions and capture relevant sections of the article?

•Will I read it section by section?  Are there parts I can leave out?

•Will I stop after some paragraphs and ask myself any questions that have arisen?

•The language is really difficult! How can I persevere with this? Will I use a dictionary?  Will I ask my teacher for help? 

•What is the writer’s main argument?

•Does the writer support it with facts or opinions, or a mixture of both?

•What are the most relevant and compelling arguments in this article when I think of my inquiry question?

•Does the article come from a particular time period, school of thought, or nationality which might affect the content of the article?  Will I ask my teacher about this? 

After:

•How shall I record what I’ve learnt from reading this article?  Where does it fit with my notetaking scheme so far?  

•Have I written down the bibliographic details for my reference list? Or have I recorded these details on on an online generator?

•Have I stored interesting quotes I might later follow?  Have I included page number (if available) where the quote appears?

•How does what I’ve leant from reading this article connect with what I’ve already learnt about this topic and with my inquiry question?

•Do I need to alter my inquiry question in the light of what I’ve read?

•What concepts are still unclear to me?

•Do I now have enough information? 

•What further questions do I have?

Remember: 

When you are reading from a journal article, the demands on your attention are going to be quite high.  The language will probably be difficult, there are likely to be opinions expressed rather than just facts, and there is likely to be scholarly conventions used, such as intext references, which will indicate to you when an opinion is being expressed, rather than a fact. The cultural setting of the article also needs to be taken into account.  All of this is difficult, but you are reading the journal article when you already know and care a lot about your topic.  So perseverance is key!

How to find secondary academic sources