To any student, the most challenging part of writing an essay or lab report can be knowing where to start. Staring at a blank page when a deadline is fast approaching is a daunting prospect. When friends can all be at different points in the task it can often feel demotivating and stressful.
In this blog post, I will be sharing some of the research techniques that have really helped me in organising and starting any assignment.
Start with Reading
The first thing I do when I approach any essay or lab report is read around the subject. I usually do this by reading over my notes on past lectures or through the practical manual, picking out important information. Another important source can be the module’s reading list which I have found to be really helpful to start researching and adding extra understanding. Taking this time allows me to focus on the task and stops me drifting off topic.
Creating a research plan
Before researching online, I have found splitting up an essay or lab report into sections, each with roughly 5 bullet points or key phrases helps me. This stops me from over researching as it is very easy to be overwhelmed with academic papers and end up off topic. Creating a plan like this also allows me to spread my workload over different days and attempt different sections at different times.
Google Scholar or Pub Med
I have found Google Scholar to be the best source for finding an academic paper on any subject. One way I try and utilise it is by using the filters. Especially studying a science degree, I have found that filtering the search by year can be the most helpful when referring to studies. By searching using speech marks it will show every paper with those words in it which is useful when deciding which papers to read. Pub Med works in the same way and is a source that was recommended to me when finding scientific papers.
Combining the research
Finally with all the research summarised it can makes starting the essay much easier. With each section I find the most effective way to start writing is to put the research bullet points in an order and then expand on them.
Developing ways to effectively research can differ from person to person, and these are the ways I have found at university to work for me over the last year. It is possible to take out steps or add a some extra when researching depending on the specific task you have and what suits you the most.
Written by Tom, a BSc Biology student
