It is important to break down the requirements of your assessment task before you start searching for information so that you can plan your approach.
At this first stage, you need to work out:
The best place to find this information is your Subject Outline. You should carefully read all elements of the assessment information available including:
Reading through each element will highlight key terms or concepts you are expected to demonstrate your knowledge of, and will also identify the types of information, or information sources, you are expected to use.
At first you may feel a little overwhelmed by all of the requirements. However, with some thought and planning, you can come up with a research plan that will suit your assessment tasks.
If you are confused or unsure about the assessment topic, ask your lecturer or tutor who will be happy to talk it through with you.
Let's start thinking about what terms you will use when searching for information. To do this:
This is a useful exercise because the language used to describe your topic may vary from source to source, and you don't want to miss out on a good source because it uses a different term to the one you are searching on.
Let's take Assessment 2 as an example:
| Key concepts | Possible keywords |
| Murray Darling Basin crisis | Murray Darling, Murray-Darling, MDB, salinity, erosion, blue-green algal blooms, water quality, fish deaths, land management, sustainability... |
| eco-social practice | green social work, environmental social work... |
Remember you will also need to include keywords relevant to your chosen community group for example:
| Community group | Possible keywords |
| Indigenous Australian people | Aboriginal, Indigenous, First Nations people, Land rights, Native title, culture, livelihood, empowerment, cultural water rights... |
As you start working on each of your Assessment Tasks:
Write down the key concepts from your topic and have a go at brainstorming as many alternative keywords and phrases as possible.
Tip: Online dictionaries and thesauri can help you identify synonyms.
In Assessment 2 you have been asked to "make reference to credible resources throughout your report that provide a range of diverse perspectives."
At this stage of your studies you are most likely familiar with using Primo Search and journal databases to locate quality academic materials. To help hone your skills check the Searching Databases page for some advanced search tips.
However to make sure you are capturing "diverse perspectives" I recommend broadening your search beyond journal articles and eBooks. Searching for government or business reports, media articles or even less formal online communications such as blogs will give you a range of perspectives and public opinion.
Find tips and suggestion for locating these sources on the Searching Other Sources page.
Remember, no matter where you find your resources you still need to evaluate them to ensure they are "credible". Check the Evaluating Information page for tips.
