The transition from A levels to undergraduate study is often challenging, with many students arriving at university unprepared for academic research.
This gap was highlighted by our own students, who, after participating in external essay competitions, shared that they had taught themselves research and writing skills; skills that we were not adequately providing.
To address this, we have integrated our school library into the heart of our sixth-form curriculum. As the hub of our Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) Taught Skills Programme, the library plays a central role in demystifying the research process.
In an initiative co-delivered by me, as head of EPQ, and our librarian, Julia Besnard, we are working hard to equip students with the confidence and skills needed to excel and thrive in higher education.
Structured research: a five-step framework
To prevent students from feeling overwhelmed, we have broken down the research journey into a manageable, five-step process, delivered through a series of dedicated lectures to our Year 12s.
Inspired by Kathleen Morris, this framework provides a clear road map for research and writing, from initial ideas to finished bibliography.
- Clarify: We teach students to refine their research questions before they start researching. A broad topic like the “British Raj” is honed into a focused, investigable query, such as “In what ways did British rule influence Indian society, culture and education during the 19th and early 20th centuries?” This initial clarity saves hours of fruitless searching later.
- Search: We move students beyond Google and into the world of academic databases. Through hands-on sessions, they learn to navigate platforms like JSTOR, Gale and PubMed, mastering advanced search techniques, using boolean operators and accessing peer-reviewed journals, the bedrock of university-level work. The goal is to equip students with the precision tools needed to locate authoritative sources efficiently - a foundational skill for any successful undergraduate.
- Delve: We teach students systematic methods for recording and tracking their research. From simple research tables in Word or Excel, to more sophisticated digital tools like Notion, the goal is the same: to create a living record of their sources, key quotes and personal analysis, preventing a last-minute scramble for lost references.
- Evaluate: In an age of information overload, critical evaluation is paramount. Students learn to interrogate their sources, asking who wrote it, why and for what audience. They learn to distinguish between a sensationalised news article and a rigorous, evidence-based study, developing a healthy scepticism that is the hallmark of a true scholar.
- Cite: We familiarise students with referencing from the outset as an essential part of the research process. We guide them through generating a perfectly formatted bibliography in any required style (Harvard, MLA, Chicago) directly in their word processor.
The digital toolkit, from Zotero to Google Docs
Research is as much about organisation as it is about discovery, and we have introduced students to a suite of digital tools that streamline the technical aspects of their work.
- For managing bibliographies, we introduce reference management software like Zotero and reliable platforms like MyBib.
- Students learn how to build their own digital libraries with a single click, automatically generating citations and perfectly formatted bibliographies in any required style.
- Students learn the essential but often overlooked mechanics of writing. They learn to use the powerful editing tools in Google Docs and Microsoft Word, such as automatic tables of contents and bibliographies, to streamline formatting. This crucial digital literacy, rarely taught at university, allows them to focus on crafting arguments, not on manual formatting, preparing them for the demands of lengthy dissertations.
- The school is also extremely vigilant at protecting students from the temptations of cognitive offloading by misusing AI as their colleague, as David Tuck has recently discussed in Tes, and we have adopted these methods for the EPQ.
Building confidence for the future
Students are now approaching research with greater confidence, entering university as more prepared learners, ready to engage meaningfully from the start.
The heads of English and history are working closely with the library, adopting similar approaches for their A-level coursework as part of our coordinated effort to help students develop greater autonomy in their learning.
Building on this success, we are now planning to embed these principles into the history curriculum from Year 7 onwards, creating a scaffolded research programme to ensure that every student builds a solid foundation for advanced academic work.
Sheriza Wadhwani Samtani is a history teacher and head of EPQ at Harrow International School Hong Kong
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