Project work
R20–0747 MATS31330
Introduction (podcast)
Hi, I’m Michael, a Teaching and Learning Librarian at the University of Manchester Library. I’ve put this resource together to support you with your projects. For many of you this will be the largest piece of academic work you have completed and with that comes lots of different challenges and opportunities to demonstrate what you know about your subject.
There are lots of different elements to think about when completing a project of this size and we’ll try to cover some of them here. Your project is personal to you and you will all be working on different things at different times. This resource is something you can come back to when you need it so don’t worry about working through the sections in turn. If there are things which haven’t been covered or if you would like further support, get in touch. You can find my details in the help and support section at the end of the resource.
Time management and planning your project
Unlike most essays and shorter projects, you’ll be working on this assignment for a number of weeks. Managing your time alongside other competing priorities is really important. As is planning when you will carry out the different pieces of work required to put the project together — particularly thinking about the order in which you do things and which tasks need to be completed in order to progress with the project
PLEASE EMBED STUDY SKILLS>TIME MANAGEMENT 1–1.4
Finding information for your project
Backing up your points with evidence has been important throughout your studies so far. In this project you have the space to consider a wide range of sources to best support the arguments that you make. You have a huge array of information resources available to you at the University and we’ll look at some of those in this section.
Library Search
PLEASE EMBED FINDING INFORMATION 2–2.3; 2.6–2.7
Google Scholar
PLEASE EMBED FINDING INFORMATION 3
Subject databases
PLEASE EMBED FINDING INFORMATION 1–1.14
PLEASE EMBED LINKS TO MATERIALS SCIENCE AND BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT GUIDES
Using a wide range of sources
PLEASE EMBED FINDING INFORMATION 1.8–1.8.1
Being critical
Being critical doesn’t mean saying everything is rubbish! In this section we’ll discuss how you can apply criticality to your project — whether evaluating the quality of your information sources, reading critically or demonstrating critical thinking in your writing.
Evaluating your sources
PLEASE EMBED FINDING INFORMATION 3.1
Critical reading
PLEASE EMBED ACADEMIC READING 1 .1— 1.4
Writing critically
PLEASE EMBED ACADEMIC WRITING 4.0 AND 3.0 (IN THAT ORDER PLEASE!)
Further support in being critical
PLEASE EMBED ACADEMIC READING 1 .5
Referencing
Introduction (podcast)
In this section we will look at referencing and why it is an important part of writing in an academic style. It might not be anyone’s favourite thing but it is important for a number of reasons — from the pragmatic and not losing marks to the more high-minded idea of showing where the ideas that you write about sit within the topic. We’ll start by looking at what referencing is and why we do it. We’ll then look at ways to include other people’s ideas in your own work before looking at how to reference in Harvard Manchester style. We know it can be tricky and you can find further help and support at the end of the section.
What is referencing?
PLEASE EMBED REFERENCING 1–1.1
How can we use other people’s ideas in our own writing?
PLEASE EMBED REFERENCING 1.2–1.2.1
How do I reference?
(Podcast)
Now that we know what referencing is and why we are asked to do it we can start thinking about how we do it. Knowing ‘why’ you reference really helps you to do it correctly. Ensuring that the person reading your work can identify which ideas have come from other people and sources helps you to know when to add a citation in your text. Ensuring that the person reading your work can identify the full source of those ideas helps you to add the correct details for that source in your reference list. Being consistent and accurate in your referencing is the aim! The Library’s guide to Harvard Manchester referencing can help you!
PLEASE EMBED REFERENCING 3
Help and further support
The Library and the My Learning Essentials Team are here for you, so get in touch with us using any of the following methods.
Email us uml.teachingandlearning@manchester.ac.uk
Use the ‘Ask a question’ tab at the right side of the page on any Subject Guide.
Use Library Chat by going to the Library Website or MyManchester (log in required).
