On Monday and Tuesday this week two groups of the Upper Sixth students undertaking an EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) travelled to the British Library for a day learning about digital research.
Mrs Hoar, Challenge and Extend Co-ordinator, said, “The two days were a fantastic opportunity for our EPQ girls to really extend their understanding of academic research. We have a fascinating and diverse range of hypotheses; from exploring the link between income and the happiness index to evaluating the extent can superconductors be a viable option to replace aluminium alloys in the National Grid? I can’t wait to see their final submissions.”
Judith Tarrant and Rebecca Nisbet summarise the research days:
Judith Tarrant
“The morning focused on analysing the way we currently use the internet for research and what changes we could make to make our digital research more effective, for example making use of a range of academic search engines and using fact-checking websites. We were then treated to a tour of the library, including the Sir John Ritblat Treasures Library, which houses fascinating historical documents such as a copy of the Magna Carta, notes from Leonardo da Vinci and personal letters from Tudor monarchs. After lunch, we were then given time to do our own research using our new techniques.”
Rebecca Nisbet
“In the morning, we attended a number of sessions, looking at how best to use academic search engines, fake news, fact-checking and conducting objective research. After lunch, we were able to put these skills into practice and had the opportunity to work independently, choosing a question that links to our project. We used academic search engines and fact checkers to address important parts of our research projects. We also got the opportunity to tour the British Library, which was a great chance to see the collections and learn more about its history. We have all now got renewed ideas and motivation to continue working on our projects and dissertation, to finish our first drafts in the next week.”
