Begin by clarifying the assessment requirements. Read the assignment instructions and marking criteria supplied on your course site. The video below explains more about writing assignments at university.
Video length: 2 min 45 sec.
Planning your search will save you time and is the key to getting the most out of your search results. See the Plan your search page of this guide for detailed information.
See the Find information page of this guide for an overview of where to search and how to search in the Library Collection and Google Scholar. The page also contains guidance on finding key databases and journals in the subject area, as well as other relevant resources.
You can find further introductory information about searching in the Library research skills guide:
You may need to search for both published literature and unpublished (grey) literature.
Why search for grey literature?
Grey literature:
The Analysis and Policy Observatory (APO) is a research collection and alerting service to the latest information for public policy development and implementation. Find full text research reports, papers, submissions, statistics and more. The APO Collections page has curated collections on focused topics, regional concerns, conference series, and more, including a Culture Collection.
Want to know more?
Explore the Grey Literature & Other Sources Guide.
Searching in the literature is an essential skill. When undertaking a research project, you will need to consult the literature throughout the research cycle. The Searching for Your Literature Review Guide can help you to understand this process more comprehensively.
Explore the research cycle diagram below for more information. Click the plus (+) icons to learn more.
Diagram adapted with permission. Created by Deb Moulton, Learning Advisor, Teaching Innovation Unit, UniSA.
Sage Research Methods is a comprehensive online collection of resources which you can access through the Library. You can explore methodological concepts to help you design your research project, understand a particular research method or identify a new method, and write up your research. Discover full text books, dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks, journal articles and videos on how to create your research project and different research methodologies.
The SAGE Research Methods Map can be used to explore the research methods terrain, read definitions of key terminology, and discover content relevant to your research methods journey.
If you wish to explore further, the following Library resources expand on research methods and methodologies in the area of creative studies:
Before you start searching the literature, you should consider your research question(s).
1. Identify a broad topic area of interest to help you start thinking about what you might want to research.
2. Do some preliminary searches and background reading to discover more about your topic area including whether it is appropriate, gaps and terminology used.
3. Focus your topic into a research question. Ask who, what, when, why, and how questions.
Adapted from the video Developing a research question (7 min 23 sec), produced by the University of Melbourne.
The resources below can assist with understanding reflective writing practice.
The Study Help guide has information on writing academic essays.
Tip: These resources are designed to provide a general overview of academic writing and writing styles. Please refer to your course assessment tab for more resources to support your assessment.
Attend online academic skills workshops
The Student Engagement Unit is offering free online academic skills workshops which are designed to help you understand assignment types, assignment writing, and referencing.
See the Study Help site for more details, including dates and times for sessions.
Case studies are descriptions of situations which you will likely encounter within your chosen discipline. They may be presented as essays, reports or in specific templates provided to you so you will need to carefully analyse the task you have been given and look at the particular requirements of your assignment.
The Study Help site has useful resources for your studies.
Watch this short video (2 min 53 sec) below for tips on how to write a report.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to machines or computer systems capable of performing tasks that require human intelligence. AI underpins many tools, with examples including web search engines, predictive text, recommendation systems such as those used by Netflix or Spotify, and navigation apps such as Google Maps.
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) uses algorithms to generate content (e.g. text or images) in response to a prompt. GenAI tools and apps may help you brainstorm, understand key concepts, or help to improve the clarity of your writing but, before you use them, it is important to understand their risks and limitations.
This short video by UniSA Online outlines what Generative AI is and considerations for using it in academic study.
Video length: 5 min 38 sec.
Prompt engineering is the process of formulating what you enter into a GenAI tool and effects the response that you get from it. The UniSA Teaching Innovation Unit's guide to AI for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education has some information on how to structure a prompt.
While you are finding references, you need to think about whether they are appropriate to use in your assignment. You may be asked to use scholarly or peer-reviewed material to support your arguments.
You should evaluate all resources before including them in your assignment - even if you found them through the Library Collection or databases.