Library Assist: Answers

Unfortunately, no - however, we can absolutely help you to make the right decision.

Library staff are unable to make the decision for you for various reasons, including but not limited to:

• Academic integrity - you are being assessed on your choice of articles so it would be inappropriate for us to decide for you
• Critical analysis - this is a skill you are expected to learn during your time with the University
• Subject knowledge - we are not subject experts and are not involved in setting your assignment brief

We understand that interpreting articles can be confusing, especially if it is something you have not done before. We therefore have some resources that will help you to understand the difference between primary and secondary research so you can be more confident in making a decision:

• Our FAQ 'How do I know if an article is primary research, and whether it is qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods?' provides a great starting point.

• The Skills for Learning team have produced a 'Guide to primary research'.

You can speak with our Skills for Learning team to practise identifying primary/secondary resources - come to our drop-ins or email us at skills@wlv.libanswers.com. However, Skills staff cannot 'give you' the answer.

If you are still uncertain about an article, the best thing to do is speak to your tutor as they have the final say on what is acceptable based on the instructions they have given you for the assignment.