Guide to Research and Writing for the Academic Study of Religion

Objectives:

To help U of C students studying Religion:

•  Understand the importance of a good research question and how to effectively develop a proper thesis statement
•  Appreciate the benefits of effective planning and organization of research
•  Understand which types of sources are most appropriate for research needs
• Understand how databases operate and be able to search  effectively using advanced search skills
• Critically evaluate articles, books and web sources
• Efficiently and effectively access all material including items not held by the U of C Library
• Know how and when to document sources
• Understand the nature of plagiarism and how to avoid it