EPQ prep 2015

Cotham School Library

Support with EPQ Research

Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
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6.
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9.

Planning your work

Physical resources and searching the library
Online resources & useful subscription passwords
Online search tips

Page 1-2
Page 2-3
Page 3-4
Page 4

How do effective researchers behave?

Evaluating a source
Plagiarism
Writing a Bibliography

Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7

List of search engines and other useful links

Page 8-9

General resources to help you in the library:

Level 3 Extended Project. Student Guide Swinbank and Taylor (c2009) Cotham Library 371
The complete guide to writing your dissertation: advice, techniques and insights to help you
enhance your grades Steve Ball. (c2012) Cotham Library 808.066
AQA Extended Project Student Companion: Student Journal Flanagan & McGee (2014)
Cotham Library 371 (AQA is not the exam board we use, but may be useful for reference).

1. Planning your Work

Once you know the topic of your project, you need to think about planning the structure. It
may be useful to get ideas by producing a spider-gram or mind-map about your topic.
Resources from the library:
Ball (2012) The complete guide to writing your dissertation: advice, techniques and insights
to help you enhance your grades Cotham Library 808.066
Buzan The Buzan Study Skills Handbook (2006) Cotham/Charnwood 371.3028
Cottrell (2008) The Study Skills Handbook Cotham/Charnwood 378.1702
You should consider using a project timeline plan to manage your time effectively. You could
search online for resources such as a Gantt Chart to help you get organised.

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Your initial plan might look something like this:

Task Name
Brainstorm ideas
Finalise title
Start research

1.
2.
3.

Duration
1 day
1 day
1 week

Deadline
05/07
05/07
14/07

Predecessor*
Task 1.
Task 2.

Start by
03/07
05/07
07/07

End by
03/07
05/07
14/07

*The predecessor means the tasks you must complete before you can begin the next task.

Alternatively you could make your own plan on an Excel sheet or print out a calendar from
http://www.calendarlabs.com and cover it with coloured Post-its. Remember it must be
adaptable to change as your work progresses.
It is extremely important that you are realistic about how many working days you will
actually have available.
Consider:

Project deadlines and meetings with teachers.

The order of tasks and the time certain tasks will take.
Holidays.
Exams or other coursework deadlines.
Other commitments outside of school work (such as a p/t job).
RISK DAYS- these are your buffer days in case something goes wrong.

It is important that you keep all notes and rough drafts in case you are asked to produce
them at a later date. It is advisable to bookmark all online information in a secure place.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2. Physical resources
The library has a wide selection of resources available for you to borrow from both
branches. If you would like to make a suggestion for resources please speak to the library
staff.
Search the library OPAC
You have access to the librarys catalogue at:
http://library.cotham.bristol.sch.uk/oliver/libraryHome.do
The link is available via the FROG Library page or via the intranet.

To search the library using the intranet, click on LIBRARY OPAC SYSTEM on the left hand
menu
This will take you to the Oliver Homepage

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Oliver gives you quite a lot of bibliographic details about the item you have searched for
including title, author, date of publication and publisher.
The blue subject links will take you to other resource records that have the same topic.
Branch and Collection will tell you at which library you will find the items. Some resources
may have copies at both libraries. Classification tells you where the book lives on the shelf.
Status tells you if the book is available to borrow or not. REFERENCE means it is available to
use in the library only.
Other physical resources you might like to use include journals and magazines (held at
Charnwood LRC unless otherwise stated):

20th Century History (back-issues only), Business Review, E-Magazine, Empire, English
Review, Flipside Magazine (Cotham), History Today, Law Review (back-issues), Magazin
Deutschland, Media Magazine, New Scientist (new copies at Cotham, back issues at
Charnwood), Omnibvs, Politics Review (back-issues), Psychology Review, Sight & Sound,
Sociology Review
3. Online resources and useful subscription details
The librarian has already put together a list of useful websites for starting a piece of
research:
http://www.diigo.com/list/cotham_library/a-good-place-to-start
For support when researching please contact Miss Davies. If you would like to find out more
about improving your research skills try some of the following online training:
Online Information Skills training for post-16 students:
The Internet Detective http://www.vtstutorials.ac.uk/detective/
Fantastic Study Skills website (includes info on research methods):
http://www.palgrave.com/skills4study/useful.asp
Useful online tool & app for recording research: Evernote http://evernote.com
Online Subscriptions
The library has a variety of resources available to support teaching and learning. Listed
below are the key online resources to which we subscribe.
Issues Online The articles and statistics are from a variety of different sources: newspapers, charity
groups, Government reports, blogs, magazines, etc. http://www.issuesonline.co.uk click on the
Login symbol Username: Cotham
Password: 2227

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Complete Issues Online Thousands of articles, guaranteed to spark debate on key issues and
controversies. Covers a wide range of topics from a variety of viewpoints
http:www.completeissues.co.uk Username: Cotham Password: library
The Day Online Newspaper Daily news with links to resources. Great for current awareness.
http://www.theday.co.uk Username: cotham Password: theday
We also subscribe to History Today Online and New Scientist. Please be aware that we have
limited access to the online archive. Please email LRCMain@cotham.bristol.sch.uk if you
require an article from an edition not held at Charnwood.
4. Online searching- GET BETTER RESULTS.
Start very general- try several keywords rather than one or two. Add more keywords
as you go. Use at least
for better results. Try
different combinations of keywords (see the cheat-sheet below for tips).
Use more precise and technical language if you know it.
Look well beyond the first few hits. Remember that high ranking results do not
always equal high quality resources.
Return to favourite, reliable sites that you have used before. Information is only as
credible as the source. Stay critical.
Use more than one search engine. Use Advanced searching where possible. Try a
speciality search engine (see list below). Try a meta-search engine, such as Zuula,
which searches several search engines at the same time. Remember that Google
alters your results based on previous searches, so take a Google holiday once in a
while.
Carefully record findings or use bookmarking tools such as such as Diigo or Delicious.
You won't duplicate the searches you have already done and you never know when
you might need to return to the website.
Always check information with several sources.
Ask the librarian or your teacher for useful website recommendations.
Search the Invisible Web (information which cant be found by a search engine). Use
search engine as a gateway to find databases e.g. search [topic] database and then
search within that database for information.
Use Google Alerts to find any recent news articles on your topic.
5. How do effective researchers behave?
Start with reliable authoritative sources purchased via the library or department.
Remember this might include resources such as journals or newspapers.
Make a record of where you found your information, including the classification of
any library books you might have used.
To begin with, start with very general reading about your topic.
Get to know who the main experts are in your field of interest and find out what the
key issues might be. You might consider making a list of key words or phrases at this

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point which will help you narrow down your search later. This will be useful to
pinpoint your key search terms.
Bibliographies are your friend; look at them to expand your reading list. Remember
you do not have to read every single article on every bibliography that you find.
6. Evaluating a Source
You will be expected to evaluate the resources you find to determine how useful they will
be in your EPQ.
A few things to consider:
Who wrote it?
Who is the author or creator? Is it from an authoritative source? Do they have a good
reputation in your subject? Even if a website looks good you cannot guarantee the quality of
the information if you do not know the source. Search online for a key phrase in to see
if the information appears somewhere else. Who is the original source? Evaluate the
credibility of that source.
Have other professionals in the field cited the work in their own papers? That might tell you
that other professionals value that work.
Use http://whois.domaintools.com to research the author.
Where/ When did they write it?
Is the research still relevant? The information may have been discredited by more recent
work. Print materials will usually have the date and place of publication on the copyright
page. For online sources type javascript:alert(document.lastModified) into the address bar
to find out when the site was last updated. If the website hasnt been changed recently the
information may not be useful or up-to-date. You could restrict your online search to find
items from the last year using the advanced search features.
Also think about whether the information is geographically relevant; perhaps the statistics
are from an American study and the focus of your research is the UK only.
At what level is it written?
You should be able to understand the information you are using. If you dont understand
something, dont use it. Equally you probably dont need to include very basic information in
your findings.
Why did they write it?
Always be critical- why did the author produce this information? What is their aim? Are they
biased in any way? Has the research been sponsored by a company?

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How can I use it?

Is the information relevant to your task? The purpose of an essay or project is not to
regurgitate all of the information you have found out, so if it isnt relevant DONT INCLUDE
IT! The bibliography may be useful for further reading even if the body of the article isnt.
Have a look at: http://www.wikihow.com/Evaluate-the-Credibility-of-a-Source for more
information.
We all know that Wikipedia can be a fantastic resource if used correctly. It is important that
if you use Wikipedia you use it as a starting point for your research and do look elsewhere
for your information. The footnotes can be useful for finding the original sources. Everything
that you use from Wikipedia must be thoroughly checked and referenced. You will not be
able to cite Wikipedia as a source in your project!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7. Plagiarism
Plagiarism is passing off someone elses work as your own. If you use someone elses ideas
without referencing correctly it is plagiarism. If you get caught plagiarising it could lead to
you being disqualified from your course and other exams, potentially ruining your academic
career. You will need to know how to reference and create a bibliography to ensure your
work can be checked thoroughly.
How to avoid PLAGIARISM
Keep VERY detailed notes. Record and reference every source you have looked at
even if you dont use it. Carefully record findings or use bookmarking tools, such as
Diigo or Delicious.
Try to write notes in your own words. Dont just make a few minor changes to
wording. Note-making is more about your own thoughts. Imagine yourself in a
conversation with the author and note down your responses or questions.
If you need to record a quote, ensure it is fully written out in quotation marks with
full source details including the page numbers. This will mean when you create your
bibliography and do your references you wont have to find and re-check your
sources for the vital information.
Avoid cutting and pasting from the internet- you may plagiarise by accident if you
cant remember what you wrote yourself.
Do not copy work from other students or allow them to copy from you.
Save ALL of your notes until after your essay or project has been marked.
Learn more about plagiarism and how to avoid it at:
http://www.essex.ac.uk/plagiarism/index.html
http://library.leeds.ac.uk/skills-plagiarism#activate-understanding_plagiarism
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Cotham School Library

8. How to write a Bibliography

A brief word on referencing
The Harvard system is the most common style of referencing and is used by many
universities. In the library we have hand-outs about how your citations should be formatted
depending on the type of source material. There are also several (free) online websites that
will help you build a bibliography with your sources such as Neils Toolbox
(http://www.neilstoolbox.com/ or http://www.harvardgenerator.com )
Whichever referencing system you use, your bibliography should be alphabetical by author
or creator and appear at the end of your work. Stick with one style and be consistent. Your
bibliography should include every resource you have consulted, including books, journals TV
programmes and websites.
The two most common types of (Harvard) sources are outlined below:
Books:
Author surname first, followed by initial (Year in brackets) Title (in italics) Place of
publication: Publisher
(These details can be found on the Copyright page inside the front of the book)
For example:
Crystal, D. (2006) Words, Words, Words Oxford: Oxford University Press
Websites:
Name of author if known (year) The title of the web page in italics. Available at: (quote the
URL details) [date website was accessed]
For example:
JISC Digital Media (2009) Welcome to the Internet for image searching. Available at:
www.vts.intute.ac.uk/tutorial/imagesearching [11th July 2012]
The title of the web page is usually found at the top of the page.
Go to the end of the article or website and look for copyright details, the author and the
year in which the site was created. Check the FAQs or contact us link if it is not obvious
who created the site.
A Harvard bibliography might look something like this:
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Barry, P. (2009) Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory. (3rd ed.) Manchester: Manchester
University Press.
Bendazzi, G. (1996) The Italians who Invented the Drawn-on-Film Technique. In: Animation Journal 4(2) pp. 69-77.
The Godfather (1972) Directed by Francis Ford Coppola. [DVD] U.S.A.: Paramount Pictures.
Savage, Martha. (2008) Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute Available at:
http://yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1996/3/96.03.10.x.html [Accessed on 10.11.2012]

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Further help with referencing (comprehensive document):

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20141031163546/http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/files/200912-24-plagiarism-students.pdf

Referencing tutorial:
http://library.northampton.ac.uk/liberation/ref/basic_style.php
Pears, R. & Shields, G. (2010). Cite them Right. 8th Ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
(Cotham 808.027, Charnwood 371.027)
Williams, K. & Carroll, J. (2009). Referencing and Understanding Plagiarism. Palgrave Pocket
Study Skills. Basingstoke: MacMillan. (Cotham 808.027, Charnwood 371.027)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9. Useful online links
a. Lists of useful search engines
Find our list: http://www.diigo.com/list/cotham_library/recommended_search_engines
(should be typed cotham_library)
Search engine list: http://oedb.org/library/college-basics/research-beyond-google
Choose the best for your search needs:
http://www.noodletools.com/debbie/literacies/information/5locate/adviceengine.html
Phil Bradleys list: http://www.philb.com/whichengine.htm
b. Excellent Search Engines
CiteULike http://www.citeulike.org/ for managing and discovering scholarly references
Google Scholar http://scholar.google.co.uk/ (good for Sixth Form research)
IPL http://www.ipl.org/ Internet Public Library (IPL) Can be quite USA-focused.
SweetSearch http://www.sweetsearch.com/ a search engine for students
Wolfram Alfa http://www.wolframalpha.com/ clever computational knowledge engine
c. Meta-search engine (which searches several search engines at the same time)
Yippy http://www.yippy.com/ gives you clusters of results
Zoo http://www.dogpile.co.uk/

Zuula http://www.zuula.com

d. Search directories
DOAJ http://www.doaj.org Directory of Journals (good for Sixth Form research)

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Hirewire Press http://highwire.stanford.edu/ Scholarly publishing

JSTOR http://www.jstor.org/ Journals, primary sources and books
LII http://lii.org A directory of various sites on both the visible and invisible Web put
together by librarians
PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed Biomedical literature directory
e. Library Catalogues
The Bristol Libraries Catalogue http://www.bristol.gov.uk/page/libraries . Access toAccess to
Research is a fantastic free portal to 10 million articles. It can only be accessed via
computers at your local library.
The British Library Catalogue: http://catalogue.bl.uk/
Copac: http://copac.ac.uk/ Copac brings together the catalogues of over 80 major UK
research libraries: national, academic, and specialist. Copac does not hold any materials.
Once you have identified the material you want to consult, you will usually need to arrange
an inter-library loan with your local library. There may be a charge for this service.
Cotham/ Charnwood libraries http://library.cotham.bristol.sch.uk/oliver/libraryHome.do
Redland Green school: http://redlandgreen.oliverasp.co.uk/library/libraryHome.do
UWE access using public library card:
http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/library/visitingthelibrary/notbasedatuwe/jointhelibrary.aspx
UWE database access:
http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/library/visitingthelibrary/notbasedatuwe/jointhelibrary/guestacces
stodatabases.aspx
UWE search: http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/library/default.aspx
f. Other
The British Psychological Society (useful for ethical guidelines for research): www.bps.org.uk
Research Project Calculator: http://www2.infohio.org/rpc/ to help you plan your deadlines

Useful tips to avoid plagiarism: www.plagiarismadvice.org

Writing/ Grammar Guides: Campaign for Plain English website
http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/free-guides.html
What Are Databases and Why You Need Them (Video): https://youtu.be/Q2GMtIuaNzU
Follow the library for useful links, apps, tips etc. www.twitter.com/cotham_library
Email for help: Miss Davies: DaviesS@cotham.bristol.sch.uk
Ms Stringfellow: StringfellowS@cotham.bristol.sch.uk

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