Starting your first assignment can feel a bit daunting, but if you need assistance the Library is here to help. If you’re not sure how to get started, check out the tips below to find out how to understand your task, search for scholarly resources and reference these resources in your assignment.
The first step is to understand your assessment by checking the course profile, task information and marking criteria. You might need to break the task into questions, and as you read you can take notes to answer these questions.
Next, you’ll need to identify search terms from your topic and think of alternative words, such as different spellings and synonyms. Then, use search techniques and join your search terms and alternative words together to create a search statement. You can use this search statement in the Library catalogue, databases and Google Scholar to find scholarly literature. Remember to evaluate your sources to ensure what you have found is suitable to use for your assignment.
Once you’ve found relevant and reliable resources, you’ll be able to use these in your writing. The resources you refer to throughout your assignment will need in-text references and a reference list or bibliography entry, so make sure you follow the examples in the referencing guides to format these correctly.
If at any point in the assignment process you need help you can attend a Griffith Mentor Study Support drop-in, or contact the Library.
