Collinson Library: WRITING GUIDE: Contents

Reading Strategies.	How do I breakdown a question?
A brief look at reading types, including skimming, scanning, and intensive and extensive reading. Videos covering reading categories: the finding of the main idea; fact and opinion; compare and contrast; and making inferences.	When asked to research a topic or write an essay, you may be given the main question/topic by your teacher or you may be asked to develop your own questions. Every research task/question contains Keywords. They are usually nouns, adjectives or verbs.
What are primary and secondary sources?	Which note taking method will I use?
Document analysis is the first step in working with primary sources. Worksheets available for photos, written documents, artifacts, posters, maps, cartoons, art, films/videos, and sound recordings.	Are you taking notes from a lecture in class, a website, a textbook or perhaps a video. Different tasks require a different approach. Choose the method that both suits your style of learning and the type of notes required.
Writing basics & thesis statements?	What is reflective writing?
To write the perfect essay you need to understand the basic rules of punctuation, grammar and sentence construction. Learn how to write the perfect paragraph here. When writing an essay that creates an argument, your reader will expect a clear statement of your position: a thesis statement.	Reflective writing encourages you to reflect upon your own thoughts, actions and experiences as they relate to what and how you are learning. It is different to the more objective forms of writing you do in assignments and reports.
How do I write an essay?	How do I write a report?
There are several different types of essays, like expositions, argumentative or analytical: but they all can be simplified to a formula. Once you understand and get used to the writing formulas, you’ll become more comfortable with them.	There are two basic types of reports, analytical and informational, and each serves a different purpose. All reports use formal and more objective language than other forms of writing, as they are intended to concisely provide facts and statistics.
How do I design a research poster?
Research posters are used to summarise information or research findings in a concise and visually attractive way. Poster displays are used to describe experiments and show research data. The poster is usually a mix of short pieces of text, images, tables and graphs.

Reading Strategies.

How do I breakdown a question?

A brief look at reading types, including skimming, scanning, and intensive and extensive reading.

Videos covering reading categories: the finding of the main idea; fact and opinion; compare and contrast; and making inferences.

When asked to research a topic or write an essay, you may be given the main question/topic by your teacher or you may be asked to develop your own questions.

Every research task/question contains Keywords. They are usually nouns, adjectives or verbs.

What are primary and secondary sources?

Which note taking method will I use?

Document analysis is the first step in working with primary sources.

Worksheets available for photos, written documents, artifacts, posters, maps, cartoons, art, films/videos, and sound recordings.

Are you taking notes from a lecture in class, a website, a textbook or perhaps a video.

Different tasks require a different approach. Choose the method that both suits your style of learning and the type of notes required.

Writing basics & thesis statements?

What is reflective writing?

To write the perfect essay you need to understand the basic rules of punctuation, grammar and sentence construction. Learn how to write the perfect paragraph here.

When writing an essay that creates an argument, your reader will expect a clear statement of your position: a thesis statement.

Reflective writing encourages you to reflect upon your own thoughts, actions and experiences as they relate to what and how you are learning.

It is different to the more objective forms of writing you do in assignments and reports.

How do I write an essay?

How do I write a report?

There are several different types of essays, like expositions, argumentative or analytical: but they all can be simplified to a formula.

Once you understand and get used to the writing formulas, you’ll become more comfortable with them.

There are two basic types of reports, analytical and informational, and each serves a different purpose.

All reports use formal and more objective language than other forms of writing, as they are intended to concisely provide facts and statistics.

How do I design a research poster?

Research posters are used to summarise information or research findings in a concise and visually attractive way.

Poster displays are used to describe experiments and show research data. The poster is usually a mix of short pieces of text, images, tables and graphs.