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Defining Research Needs
Understand the Assignment - The Assignment Description
When dissecting an assignment:
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Pay close attention to verbs. Instructors use words
like argue, analyze, compare,
or describe to guide your approach to a topic. For example, an
assignment that asks you to argue requires you to take a position
on an issue or idea and support your position with facts, statistics,
and quotations. An assignment that requires you to analyze focuses
on taking an idea or concept apart and describing the parts in detail.
Look for "multi-part"
assignments. Often instructors ask you to accomplish
more than one task. Listing or outlining separate parts of an assignment
can help you divide a daunting assignment into manageable parts. You also
may see which sections will require research beyond what is covered in
class.
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Take note of special instructions,
including format or length restrictions, required citing format, source requirements, and grading
criteria.
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