Renaissance Research Project: Tips for Research

Where to find Secondary sources Library catalog (different ways to search) http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/
Google Scholar: www.scholar.google.com
Mine the bibliographies of works you use
If Warwick doesn’t have a book, see if you can find it on Google Books (particularly good for older primary sources), and check if libraries near your home have it (or consider going to London)
To use the British Library: Pre-Register Online (https://www.bl.uk/help/how-to-get-a-reader-pass) and then finish your registration in person. You must provide proof of identity and address (2 pieces of ID) and come prepared with a list of what you’d like to consult.
To Use other University Libraries: Apply for a SCONUL Access pass Online (http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/using/usingotherlibraries/#sconul ) and print out the acceptance email to show staff at the other library. There are 172 participating libraries.<br>

Research Strategies Read your primary source in full, multiple times, carefully
Depending on the secondary source, you may find that you do not need to read the entire thing. There may be a particular chapter or section that is more relevant – it’s ok to read just that (though typically it is also helpful to read the introduction). It also may be useful to use the Index to find relevant sections/information.
Take CAREFUL notes, which include all source information, page numbers, and indicate if you have copied a direct quotation or paraphrased an idea. This will help ensure you do not plagiarise.<br>

Plan your essay Your essay Plan can be as detailed or simple as you like, but should include;
Your argument/Answer to the question
Basic layout of major points that need to be addressed
Indication of research necessary for each of these points
You may also wish to break it down to the level of Sub-Sections or even individual paragraphs, and may wish to include detailed notes of the research to be included.
If I receive it by Friday of Week 10 (17/3), I will look at a 1 page essay plan (if yours is more detailed, simply curtail it for this purpose)<br>

Draft your essay You may find that your organisation doesn’t work as well in practice as it did in the plan. Be willing to scrap it and start again.
Keep up with citations and quotations as you go along (you can leave formatting until later, but at least note where things come from)
Once you’ve written a draft, leave time for revision and rewriting. Check that you have a clear and strong argument, good use of evidence, and good presentation. If any are lacking, rewrite.<br>

Revising your work Reverse essay plan: pull out your argument and your topic sentences, and see if the argument holds together and the essay organisation makes sense. If not, revise.
Let it sit for a few days and then re-read it. Distance helps.
Trade with a friend and peer edit.
Read it out loud.<br>

Common errors/problems Arguments that do not address significance.
Imagine someone reading your essay and asking you ‘so what?’ If your essay doesn’t answer this question, revise.
Under or Un-analysed evidence.
Ensure that all evidence is properly analysed. Don’t just drop quotations in without explanation, or assume that the reader understands why you used a particular piece of evidence.
Evidence or Ideas that do not fit the argument.
Even if it’s a brilliant idea, if you change directions in the middle of an essay, your reader will be confused. Stay focused.<br>

Style Issues Paragraphs should be less than one page long; if you have a tendency to write very long paragraphs, you are probably putting too many ideas in a single paragraph
Each paragraph should begin with an argumentative and focused topic sentence. All information (evidence and analysis) in the paragraph should be clearly related to this topic sentence. Anything unrelated belongs elsewhere.
Err on the side of conciseness and clarity rather than verbosity. Long sentences, unnecessarily jargon-y or big words, and complicated constructions do not make you seem smarter, they just have a tendency to obscure the argument.
Avoid over-quotation of secondary sources. Unless the language used is particularly important to the point, paraphrase. Similarly, avoid name-dropping historians unless necessary; names go in footnotes.
Introductions can be more than one paragraph, but make sure your argument appears early and clearly (ideally in the first 2 pages).
Conclusions should not just repeat the argument. Wrap up the argument and analysis, and ideally push a bit further.<br>

Presentation/Grammar Issues Sloppy Presentation suggests sloppy writing and research. Proofread carefully.
Avoid sentence fragments. All sentences need a verb and a subject, and Gerunds (verbs that end in –ing) cannot be the main verb of a sentence.
If you use semi-colons, ensure you know how. Both clauses in a sentence with a semi-colon must be grammatically complete; otherwise, the usage is incorrect.
Quotations must be integrated grammatically into your sentence. This may require altering a verb tense or adding a word – any changes should be included within straight brackets [like this] to indicate you have altered the original.
Quotations longer than 4 lines should be single spaced and indented on both sides, and do not require quotation marks.<br>

Citations Failure to cite anything that is not your idea or your words is plagiarism. Penalties for intentional plagiarism are strict and outlined in the student handbook. Accidental plagiarism (i.e. as a result of sloppy note-taking or forgotten citations) will result in a substantial loss of marks.
Follow the guidelines in the student handbook for citations. Sloppy presentation will result in loss of marks.
Note that bibliographic and footnote formats are not identical.
If you refer to images, they should be included in the essay. You may do this in an appendix (typically between the essay and the bibliography) or insert them in the text near where you refer to them. Images should be properly captioned and referred to as figures. In the text, after a reference to an image, you would say: (See figure 1).
In the bibliography, primary sources should be listed first and separately from secondary sources.
Bibliographies do not use bullet points or similar symbols to list items.
Remember that the word count (4,500 words) does not include footnotes and bibliography.<br>

Submission Submission is via Tabula.
Your submission should be anonymous – only include your student number.
Note the word count (not including footnotes/bibliography)
If using images, it’s safer to upload as a PDF, to ensure the formatting remains the same.
Ensure that you upload your final draft, if you’ve saved multiple files.
Any requests for extensions must be submitted in advance through tabula.<br>