You should think about doing the same thing. Think about what you want your reference list to look like, and then make sure you find enough resources to use in your assignment so that you can create a "killer" reference list.
Here are a few things worth keeping in mind:
1. Basic rule of thumb – have at least eight works in your list, with at least two of each:
- Journals
- Books
- Web pages
2. "Journal articles are Kings, Books are Presidents and Web Pages are Prime Ministers (although they could be con men)."
- The latest and greatest stuff is usually published in a journal article long before it gets to a book, so make sure your reference list has a lot of journal articles.
- Books usually contain the most reliable facts, so they should take up the next largest chunk of your list.
- Web pages (particularly government and educational sites) can often have the most easily digestible information, as well as containing the information that people working in the field "should know"... but make sure you always take a close look at who is responsible for that web page, and ask yourself if you think you can trust them.
3. "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue"
- Something old = at least one text from before 5-10 years ago to show you’ve researched the history of the subject
- Something new = Most of your work should be from the last 5 years – try to be as cutting edge as possible
- Something borrowed = Make sure you use at least one text from your recommended readings
- Something blue = A text that’s there to add ‘colour’ – it’s not what someone would normally expect (but it must be relevant. An example would be an article on verbal negotiation from a police journal for a nursing assignment looking at communication.
Remember, unless your lecturer has specifically told you to only reference your required readings, you should assume they want you to research, and they want you to prove you’ve read widely. This is your chance to show off how much work you've done.
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