Using sources in your
Advanced Higher Investigation
Research steps
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Clearly define your selected topic
Identify appropriate keywords
Identify suitable information sources
Search sources to find relevant
information
Evaluate information found
Use the information ethically and
responsibly
What sources should you use?
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You must use at least 3 references from
different sources – either books, journals or
the internet.
At least 2 of the sources should be from
books or journals (whether published or
online).
Using more than 1 page from a book, or
more than 1 web page from a website counts
as one reference only.
Where to find Sources of
Information
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Book sources
Use the OPAC to check for books which might cover your
subject. http://opac.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/TalisPrism/
Even if the book is not in Williamwood you may be able to
borrow it from another East Renfrewshire library
Journal Sources
East Ren subscribes to NewsUK, as well as giving access to
daily newspapers this also has a database of news topics
which may contain articles relevant to your investigation.
Access it via the link from Williamwood’s home page, and type
in your young scot/library card barcode number (P0…….)
http://www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/community-life-andleisure/libraries/online_information_resources.htm
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You can also access Encyclopedia Britannica online using your library
card –this has some links to journal articles as well.
http://library.eb.co.uk/storelibrarycard?target=/eb%3Flibrar
y_id%3Deastrenfrewshire&id=eastrenfrewshire
Web Sources
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To find the most relevant sources you need to be quite specific
in the search terms you use.
A ggod place to start is
http://www.noodletools.com/noodlequest/
just answer the questions and noodle tools will find the most
useful search engines for your request.
Advanced Google search may be useful
http://www.google.co.uk/advanced_search?hl=en
Another place worth checking is the Librarians’ Index to the
Internet
http://www.ipl.org/ - this includes daily science news and covers
a huge variety of topics
Searching web sources
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Once your search results appear skim and
scan the abstracts for relevance, rather than
just clicking down the list.
Evaluate each source as you go.
Make a note of the url of any source which
may be useful.
Just copying and pasting the url into a word
doc headed with the date, will give you
enough information to enable you to start
building a reference list later.
Website Evaluation
A CAB
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A: Accurate?
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C: Current?
A: Authority?
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B: Bias?
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Where does the information come from?
Is the information correct?
Can you check the information by using any other
sources?
When was the website last updated?
Is the information likely to be out of date?
Who is the author of the website or webpage?
Can you check whether they are a reliable source of
information for your subject?
What type of organisation made this website?
Are they likely to be trying to put forward a particular
point of view for a political/religious/ commercial/ or
other reason?
Using your sources
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Every direct quote from a source should be
in inverted commas.
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Follow the quote with the author’s name
and year of publication in brackets
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All information not in quotation marks
should be written in your own words.
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Rewording or summarising information from
a source and not referencing it is plagiarism,
if you are discussing someone else’s facts or
theory make sure you say where the
information came from.
Avoiding Plagiarism
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Ensure that any source you use is correctly
referenced.
Every time you look at a source make a note
of its details, and if it is a web source also
add the date you looked at it.
Use this record to build your final reference
list.
Your reference list will enable anyone who
reads your work to check your sources.
What information do you need
for each source used?
Web sources
It is not always easy to find the individual author of an online
article, but as many of the following as you can find should be
included in your reference list:
Author, date, title, publisher, URL, date you accessed the material
If you cannot find the author of an article use the organisation’s
name as your reference.
It is important to add the date you looked at the material, as it
may have been updated between when you first accessed it and
someone checking your information.
How to find author
information from a web site
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Check the bottom and top
of the article to see if there
is an author’s name and/or
copyright details.
Click on the home page of the website and
read the “about us” section to see if you can
find a name.
Check to see if there are any references
within the article which might help.
Referencing a web source
Use the following format:
Author/editor (or organistion if no named
author) (date written) title. URL: Visited:
Month and year
eg:
The Mammal Society (2006)Position
statement: badgers and bovine tuberculosis
URL:
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/mammal/badgers_tb.
shtmlVisited: August, 2007
Referencing a book source
Find the information by using the
title page and the back of the title page
– NOT the cover.
The format should be:
author/editor.(year of publication) Title, publisher, place of
publication, page number(s)
(Note: -if there is an editor rather than an author put (ed.) after the editor’s name)
(for Physics you do not need to put the page number)
e.g.
Wright, R (2005) Environmental Science: towards a sustainable
future, pearson Prentice Hall, New Jersey, p.446.
Referencing a journal article
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Use the following format:
Author(s)(surname, initials)(year of
publication) Title of Article, Name of journal,
Volume number (part number if
appropriate), page number(s)
e.g.
Bowsher, C (2007) Designer Starches,
Biological Sciences review, 19 (3), pp18-20.
In conclusion
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You should consult at least 3 sources for your
investigation.
Make sure any fact or opinion not your own is
correctly referenced, both within the text of
your report and at the end.
Conclude your report with a list of all
references in alphabetical order by author’s
surname.
Refer to your candidate information sheet for
the correct way to cite and reference each
source.