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Research and Information Skills : What information do you need?

This guide takes you through the research process including how to define your topic, search for resources, evaluate information and research methodologies.

Research Step One

The first step to research is to break down your assignment so that you know exactly what you need to research.

  • Read your question and rubric carefully
  • Unpack the question identifying

                    Key words

                    Command words

                    Assignment limits such as: time, place, people or groups.

  • Finally analyse the topic

Let's look at the following assignment question and work out  the key words, command words and limits.  The answers are in the box below:

Identify the three principles of Te Tiriti O Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi) and discuss each principle describing a relevant nursing strategy that will contribute to culturally safe practice.

Breaking down your assignment

  • Key words are topic words that signal the specific aspect of the topic you are researching. 
  • These words are the concepts or ideas from the assignment question and can be useful when you begin your information search.
  • The orange words in the following example are the key words:

Identify the three principles of Te Tiriti O Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi) and discuss each principle describing a relevant nursing strategy that will contribute to culturally safe practice.

  • Command words tell you what you have to do.
  • Common command words include:

:                       discuss

                        describe

                        evaluate

                        define

                        analyse

                        examine

The green words in the following sample question are the command words:

Identify the three principles of Te Tiriti O Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi) and discuss each principle describing a relevant nursing strategy that will contribute to culturally safe practice.

Think about the limits of your assignment question.

Time:  Is the question set in the past (historical), present (occurring now), future (still to happen) or a specific time frame (e.g. across the lifespan)?

Place:  Is the question related to a particular country, area of a country, or global?

People/Groups:  Is the question asking you to focus on a particular person (Mrs S), group (Mâori people), organisation (SPCA).

Scenario:  Is this a case study of a particular business or client/patient?

 

Example: