ABOUT DEVELOPING RESEARCH AND ANALYTICAL SKILLS This subject is designed to help students learn how to prepare and write an academic assignment in response to a question that requires them to find information. Finding such information is typically called “researching the topic” at University, and the information found is said to come from “sources” (often called “scholarly sources”). This subject does not assume you are already able to undertake research in any particular field or discipline but teaches you how to find appropriate and relevant information and organize it. You will learn what it is to gather and assess relevant information through reading, analysing and paraphrasing appropriate sources, and will work your material into a research report. The skills developed in this subject, with its emphasis on practical analytical and interpretive skills and organisation of research material and information, will also be useful in your professional career and in your overall ability to deal with and manage information in all aspects of your daily life. The subject learning activities are supported by a Study Guide available via Learning@Griffith, textbooks and Dossier of readings. The Study Guide is practically oriented, guiding you through the basic principles of academic research and analysis. The Study Guide features an ongoing dialogue with fictional students who work through the Tutorials, step-by-step, providing you with a set of examples which helps take you through a process you can replicate as you prepare for any assignment. You will use the resources provided on the Learning@Griffith website to complete each assessment item. SUBJECT DESCRIPTION Sharpen your research and analytical skills in order to improve your performance at university. This is a hands-on 'learn by doing' subject that challenges you to think more critically and to present your work more professionally. It teaches you how to evaluate information sources, helps you move beyond Google to indexes and databases and exposes you to primary research methods commonly used in the communications field (eg. surveys, content analysis). As you polish your referencing skills you learn how to write a variety of assignments from critical analyses to formal research reports.