Organising Information

It is important to remember not to accept everything you read. You must think critically about what you read to become aware of the author's intention and credibility. Ask yourself the following questions before you read in detail:

• Does the author have credibility in his/her field? What is his/her background?
• Who is the publisher? Is it a reputable company?
• When was the work published? Is it current? Is it the most recent edition?
• Is the work well researched? Does the writer use expert sources to support his/her claims?

Before you read
Know what you need to read. Quite often the task will require you to refer to books, journal articles, reports and/or websites. Check that the information you have gathered meets the source requirements for the task, e.g. 3 books, 3 journal articles, 1 website. If not, make a note to research further. It is also important to know your purpose for reading. Before you start to read, ask yourself the following questions:

• What is my purpose?
• What do I expect to find?
• Am I reading to gain insight into the assignment topic or am I searching for evidence or examples to support my views?
• Are there concepts or theories to consider and research?
• Do other questions come to mind relating to my assignment task?

As you read
Read efficiently by first scanning the text for relevant sections, then skimming those sections for useful information and finally, doing a close reading of useful information to extract what can be used for the assignment. As you read, highlight or make a note of key points, look for answers to your questions and make connections to other resources. Continue to ask questions as you read to help you to focus only on what is relevant:

• What is the author's purpose?
• Are there any signs of bias?
• Is a balanced view presented?

After you read
Evaluate the relevance and validity of the information and decide if the resource is valuable for the purpose of your assignment. Bring together all information gathered so far and decide how this information fits with other information you have read; how these different resources build on, support or extend your ideas or concepts. It is then important to reflect on what you have read:

• Does this reading reinforce or build on your views and ideas, or do you have a changed understanding of the assignment topic?
• Do you need to consider other perspectives? Remember, it is important to read widely before making judgements.

Refer to the following guides for more information on reading strategies and critical thinking:


Tips on reading effectively

Reading critically

Critical judgment

Before you read
Start a concept journal or portfolio at the beginning of your research where you can record and store all relevant information and references as you read.

As you read
Record any information that will help you to gain a thorough understanding of the topic, build on your existing knowledge and develop an informed response to the assessment task. Choose a suitable note-taking technique to record information. Don't forget to record all bibliographic details, including author, title, publisher and page numbers, so information that might be used for quotes, paraphrases, definitions and examples can be easily retrieved as required.

After you read
Organise the information you have gathered so far in your concept journal or portfolio. The idea is to start identifying categories of information related to specific concepts, ideas or issues related to the assignment topic.

Brainstorming is a great way to get all your ideas onto a single page; it allows you to start anywhere and to build on your initial ideas. Mind mapping is an extension of brainstorming that helps you to organise this information into related chunks and helps you to identify links and gaps in your research. The brainstorming and mind mapping guide explains these processes in more detail. At the end of your brainstorming session you can use your notes to think critically about the information you have gathered and decide if you are ready to start writing the assignment or if you need to research further. Ask yourself:

• Have I clarified what it is that I am investigating?
• Have I considered that there is often more than one side to a problem?
• Have I developed an informed response?
• Do I have evidence or examples to back up my response?
• Are there any information gaps that require me to research further?
• Am I ready to draw up an initial plan for the assignment?

Brainstorming is a great way to overcome 'writer's block'.

Mind map example

Evaluate the resources before you commence an in-depth reading

• Check the credibility of each author before reading

Read critically to select relevant information

• Check that the information gathered meets the source requirements for the task
• Ask questions before you read to clarify your purpose
• Scan the text for relevant sections, skim sections for useful information and do a close reading of relevant information to extract what can be used for the assignment
• Evaluate the information to decide if it is a valuable resource for the assignment
• Reflect on what you have read and your understanding of the issue or topic after reading

Record relevant information

• Start a concept journal or portfolio at the beginning of your research to record information
• Record all relevant information using a suitable note-taking strategy
• Record bibliographical details of information sources for easy retrieval
• Organise information into categories

Brainstorm to find links and make sense of information gathered so far

• Brainstorm to take stock of all the information and knowledge gathered so far
• Identify links and gaps in your research
• Think critically about all the information gathered and decide if you are ready to start writing the assignment

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