How to Research at University: A Student Learning Guide
Research is the heartbeat of university life. From essays to dissertations, seminar prep to lab reports, knowing how to research at university is an essential skill you’ll need to succeed.
Despite this, many students navigating the library for the first time, or searching for reference points, can find it daunting. The good news is that learning how to research like a seasoned academic can be easier than you think, and today we’re going to show you how.
Start by Understanding the Assignment
Before you crack open a book or dive into databases, take a moment to understand what your assignment is asking for. Your tutors won’t always spell it out, so look for pointers in the brief such as “analyse” or “compare”. These words shape the direction you should take your research.
If anything’s unclear, don’t hesitate to ask. A quick chat or email could save you hours of wasted work.
Find Sources Beyond Google
Once the assignment is clear, it’s time to gather your materials. That doesn’t mean Googling the topic and clicking on the first link. At university level, you’re expected to take your research to much deeper levels.
A good place to start is with your library portal. Often, this is the easiest place to view and download information from scholarly journals, eBooks, and other academic databases that would otherwise cost a lot of money to access.
Consider Everything You Read
While gathering sources is one thing, ensuring their validity and accuracy is another. Not every helpful-looking article was written by a scholar. Ask yourself who the author is, how old the piece is, and whether they’ve had their work peer-reviewed.
Then, you need to categorise the reference so that it fits into your essay well. Don’t try to squeeze a quote in just because it’s from someone famous. Your essay always looks better with accurate quotes rather than notable ones.
It does help to have references from the works of scholars you’ve studied during your course, though, as this shows an increased level of awareness and engagement with the work you’re undertaking.
Stay Organised from the Start
Once you’ve found the voices you want to include, make sure you keep note of them. There’s nothing worse than having a brilliant quote in your essay, but no idea where it came from. For this reason, ensure you note down every reference you want to use so that you can get back to it when it’s time to review your work.
A well-organised folder can do the job if you’re into old-school techniques. If you’d rather keep things digital, consider using platforms such as Zotero or Mendeley. Only save articles with clear names, provenance, and citable details.
Read with Purpose
While research isn’t just about burying your head in books, it can certainly help. Instead of starting at page one of a thousand-page textbook, consider skimming the sections you think are most relevant, especially if there is a concluding section to each chapter. These sections usually give you a sense of the main argument.
Once you’ve figured out the relevance of a section, then delve deeper to find the specific arguments you want to utilise. If you own the book in question, highlight the main points, jot down questions on sticky notes, and piece together your own essay using the insights within.
Use Technology to Support, Not Replace, Your Thinking
AI tools such as ChatGPT are becoming ever more tempting to use as research shortcuts. When used wisely they can be a valuable addition to your researching arsenal, but when abused, they can cause major problems.
If you rely on AI to source your references and arguments entirely, you risk inaccuracies. Perhaps more seriously, you could fall foul of plagiarism checks upon submitting your essay. Many universities use systems such as Turnitin to check submitted work for text copied from other places, and some also use tools that look for AI-generated writing. Policies differ between institutions, so make sure you check what’s allowed.
Reference as You Go
As you become a more experienced researcher, one of the most important habits to adopt is building your bank of citations as you go. Don’t wait until you’re halfway through an essay to start looking back on your references.
Whether you’re quoting directly or paraphrasing, document it straight away using your university’s required style (APA, Harvard, MLA, or another). The longer you leave it, the harder it becomes.
Ask for Help, It’s What Support Is For
Help is always there at university. Your tutors really don’t want you to fail, as it’s important to remember that you’ve paid to receive teaching and support to help you succeed. Most universities offer support through their library services or academic skills team.
You can also use your coursemates as a sounding board for new ideas. You can see whether you’re on the right track without copying each other’s work.
If you’re studying in a new city or country, it’s worth looking into other local resources you can access. Some local libraries and community hubs offer public quiet spaces and free Wi-Fi. Many international or commuter students find these spaces as helpful as the places on campus.
Discover what your university city offers its students.
Research Is a Skill for Life
Learning how to research at university is just one reason to build it into your skill set. Whether you’re chasing a first-class honour or just want to keep ploughing on through your work as best you can, having good researching ability is a skill for life. You don’t know when it could next come up, be it a report at work or a postgraduate course later in life.
So be curious and ask plenty of questions, because this is one thing you want to get right. Research isn’t the quickest of tasks, but it’ll help you do your best at university.
