If you’ve landed on this page, you’ve probably started to think about dissertations.  

You could be wondering what topic to choose and how to research or find information.  It can feel daunting to start a huge piece of work with a deadline that grows bigger every passing month.  

Working closely with Study Skills, USW librarians have created a pool of resources that will help you to start researching and planning at this stage of your dissertation journey.

Literature reviews / research

At the start of your journey, you should read around and find out what has already been published or researched.  Read our excellent literature review guide to get started.  

It’s not just about Google

Knowing about different types of information resources will help you locate the right information when you need it most.  Find your subject guide and select the tab marked "Type of resources".

Study Skills: academic writing, referencing, critical analysis

Practical guidance and support with writing, referencing and other study skills can be found on the Study Skills website.  You can also book yourself onto a study skills workshop covering many of the skills needed for dissertations from September 2022 onwards.

Further resources

SAGE Research Methods is the ultimate methods library with more than 1000 books, reference works, journal articles, and instructional videos by world-leading academics, including the largest collection of qualitative methods books available online from any scholarly publisher.

Reading list: A selection of eBooks on study skills with focus on dissertations. 

Support and guidance from Library Services

Your Faculty Librarian will have in-depth knowledge of resources for your course, so contact them for support and advice.