Research Skills for Successful Assignments
Research Skills for Successful Assignments
Directive words
Directive words
Identifying the directive words and keywords in the question will help you to structure your research.
Directive words
These are the words that give instructions about the way the task should be done.
Following these instructions will ensure that you approach the task in the right way. It will help you to decide upon the type of information you need to include and how to present this in your submission.
Here are some examples of directive words and their meaning:
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Analyse |
Describe the main ideas in depth, showing why they are important and how they are connected. |
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Assess |
Discuss the strong and weak points of the subject. Make your own conclusion. |
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Compare and Contrast |
Write about the similarities and differences in the subject matter. |
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Define |
Give clear concise meanings. State limitations of the definition. (How it is used in your essay.) |
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Describe |
Give the main features or characteristics of something or write about the main events or stages in a process. |
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Discuss |
Write about the subject in detail, giving points for and against, advantages and disadvantages. Give a balanced conclusion. |
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Evaluate |
Give your opinion of the importance, usefulness, accuracy, etc. of the information. Include good and bad points, backed up with theories and references. |
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Explain |
State clearly how and why you think something happens or why it is the way it is. |
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Illustrate |
Use specific examples to make clear points. |
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Outline |
Give the main ideas, but do not go into too much detail. |
(This list is taken from: Planning and writing your essay: an overview. (n.d.) Retrieved from University of Southampton website: http://www.southampton.ac.uk/assets/imported/transforms/content-block/UsefulDownloads_Download/21554E4380334CDC9DC5066351336B90/essay%20writing%20ss.pdf)
Try this Directive Words Quiz to test your understanding.
Keywords
Before you start searching for information you need to decide on your search terms or keywords. Find out about this in the next section. Use the arrow on the right.