Home > Subjects > English > English level 3 > 3.7 Research > Subject content > Finding sources
- Subject: English
- AS: 90726
- Level: 3
- Credits: 4
- Internal
3.7 Complete independent research on a language or literature topic and present conclusions in writing
Finding sources
To find information go to different libraries, the Internet, or ask an expert. It is a good idea to use a range of different sources. Sources can be split into three groups: oral, written, and visual.
For each group you can use information from:
- oral – interview, conversation, radio programme, audio recording, etc
- visual – video, film, TV programme, CD-ROM, maps, etc
- written – books, surveys, questionnaires, letters, pamphlets, magazines, reference material, website, etc.
Some language topics will require the latest information so you will have to read newspapers or specialist magazines and journals which can be accessed from INNZ and EPIC. Ask your teacher or librarian for the school’s password for these two useful online resources.
Use keywords
To search for information use keywords related to your topic. Once you have found your sources you must evaluate if they will be of any use to you. See Evaluating sources.
Interview a respected expert on your topic
See Newspaper interviewing 101 for tips.
Other sources of information
- Ask Jeeves, the search engine
- Any Questions – an online librarian will help you find sources
- The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
- Information Station, which links you with information.
Links for language topics
- Systematic Language Frameworks each link gives detailed information of different aspects of language.
Language of advertising sources
- Shapers (scroll down to shapers (20KB)) is a chart showing the how an advertisement is influenced by a series of factors.
- View Television Advertisements has some questions to use when analysing ads.
New Zealand language topic sources
- Election Advert has examples of New Zealand slang. Scroll down to ‘election_ad (RTF 676KB).’
- Sounds of New Zealand English
- Conversation Terminology
