Basic Computer Skills

  

Basic Computer Skills

Looking to learn basic computer skills or upgrade the skills you already have? You've come to the right place.

Basic Skills

1

Getting Started with Your First Computer print

Learn all about getting started with computers.

2

How to Use Your Computer's Built-in Help print

Learn how to use your computer's built-in help function.

3

Undo Your Mistakes print

Learn how to use your computer's Undo feature to revert back to the most recent changes you made. 

Home >Writing >4 Note-Taking Systems To Consider

4 Note-Taking Systems To Consider

• Posted 04 May 2018
 
• By EasyBib
 
• Under Blog Posts/ Study tips/ Writing
• EasyBib. “4 Note-Taking Systems To Consider.” EasyBib, Chegg, 6 Sept. 2018, www.easybib.com/guides/4-note-taking-systems-to-consider/.

Taking clear and effective notes is an important skill for all students, and essential for effective self-study, paper-writing and revision—but which method is best? We take a look at four popular note-taking systems and the differences between them:

OVERVIEW: S. A. R. Assignment

1. OVERVIEW: Summary, Analysis, and Response Assignment
2. PURPOSE: Summary, Analysis, and Response Assignment
• Step 1: Summarize the Source [Purpose, Audience, and Context]
• Step 2: Analyze the Source
• Step 3: Respond to the Source

How to Develop a Summary, Analysis, and Response Writing

OVERVIEW: 

Summary, Analysis, and Response Writing

A Summary, Analysis, and Response (S.A.R.) Assignment is something most professors assign early in a course.  This type of assignment is designed to get students used to 

Understanding Assignments with Research

Plagiarism & Copyright

See the copyright guidelines for detailed information on what constitutes plagiarism and how to determine copyright.

When considering source materials to support your argument, you will want to conduct quality research using academic, scholarly sources.  Furthermore, you will want to paraphrase as much as possible—which still requires parenthetical citations within the sentence as well as full-source citations in a Reference, Bibliography, or Works Cited page at the end of the paper.

Work on paraphrasing your sources and limiting your quotations.

Research Writing Categories

View all articles and resources in the Research Writing category.

Choosing Research Paper Topics: Reading for Information | View Worksheet

Learn about how to choose research paper topics by going through a series of steps to form ideas and pick the most viable topic.

Conducting Research and Gathering Information | View Worksheet

Learn how to go about conducting research and gathering information to engage in structured searching based on a plan that makes the process smoother.

Need Help: Citations

Help

FAQ

Citation Resources

Need Help: Create a Plan

Create a Plan

Brainstorm Keywords

Select Keywords

Combine Keywords

Need Help: Gather Information

Gather Information

Find Articles

Find Books

Find Dissertations

Need Help: Get Started

Get Started

Find a Topic

Gather Background Info

Narrow a Topic

Choose, Develop, and Refine Topics for Writing

The links below use content from the University of Texas (Arlington) to help students choose, develop, and refine topics for writing.

• Developing a Topic
• Identifying Key Words
• Background Information
• Develop Research Questions
• Refine Your Topic

• << Previous: Introduction
• Next: Select Topic >>

Refine Your Topic

Use Wikipedia in your academic research to help you choose a topic, gather background information, refine your topic, locate keyterms to narrow or broaden your search, and locate credible sources. 

Is Your Topic Too Narrow?

If you are not finding enough information, your topic may be too narrow. Consider broadening it by:

• Exploring related issues
• Comparing or contrasting the topic with another topic
• Choosing an alternative topic that is not so recent -- it may not be covered in books and journal articles yet
• Considering the time period covered
• Broadening the population considered
• Expanding the geographic area discussed
• Choosing an alternative topic that is not so popular -- it may be covered in popular magazines and tabloids only

Formulate Effective Research Questions

Once you have selected a topic, write down what you already know or don't know about the topic. Using the information you wrote down, develop questions you'd like to answer.

How to Formulate Effective Research Questions

SAGE Research Methods

• SAGE Research Methods
  

  An online search tool that provides information and instruction on research methods. It is aimed at university students, researchers, and faculty and is designed to answer methods questions that arise during the various steps of the research process, including the literature search, review, research design, data collection, analysis, and write up.

Background Information

If you can't find an encyclopedia, dictionary or textbook article on your topic, try using broader keywords or ask a librarian or research coach for help. For example, if your topic is "global warming," consider searching for an encyclopedia on the environment.

Finding background information

Once you have identified keywords, the next step is to find background information on your topic.

Background information serves many purposes:

Identifying Keywords

Make a list of keywords relevant to your topic. Be sure to list similar, broader, narrower, and related terms. Keep the list by your side when you start your research and continue to add to it as you come across useful terms.

Identifying Keywords

Before searching for information, you need to identify keywords related to your topic. The keywords you use have an impact on the results of your research. 

If the keywords you choose do not give you the results you need, try the others on your list or use the search strategies listed under Step 2.

Keywords and phrases can easily be found by scanning . . .

• your initial research questions
• encyclopedia and other articles used when conducting background research
• bibliographies found at the end of books and articles

If you are still struggling, try these suggestions:

• Use a thesaurus to identify synonyms
• Find pictures related to your topic, then describe the picture
• Brainstorm keywords with a librarian, your instructor, or a friend

Developing a Topic

Choose a topic that interests you and holds your attention. The research will be more enjoyable!

Understanding your assignment

Make sure you understand your assignment and its requirements. 

Consider the following:

• Have you been assigned a topic or can you pick your own?
• How many pages/words do you need to write? How long is your presentation?
• Do you need to include specific types of sources? (e.g. scholarly articles, books, newspapers, etc.)
• When is the assignment due? How much time do you have to research?

When in doubt, consult with your instructor.