INFO 6100 / ENVI 6100 / PUAD 6150: The Role of Information in Public Policy and Decision Making

These study rooms are in the "Grad Pad" on the 4th floor of the Killam Library.

This resource explains how to create different types of essay outlines and the usefulness of each type.

This guide provides instructions on choosing a research topic, doing research, developing an outline, revising and editing.

This page includes links to video tutorials that provide step-by-step instructions on writing an analytical or argumentative research paper. You will learn how to choose a topic, conduct your research, evaluate sources, revise and edit.

~Quick Tip: If you need research assistance or there is a gap in your knowledge about a certain subject area, why not seek out the subject liaison librarian?

One chapter from the book Basic Methods of Policy Analysis and Planning (3rd Edition) by Patton, Sawicki & Clark. Even without the full book, this chapter will narrow the focus of a policy analysis to a manageable level. The authors explain in this chapter "this book is different from others in that we present only quickly applied methods, those that can be useful when there is not time for researched analysis."

The author develops the basic idea of evaluation policy, describes a practical model for development and revision of evaluation policies (including a taxonomy, structure, and set of principles), and suggests critical challenges and opportunities for the future of evaluation policy.

This very thorough document, well researched and referenced, is published by The Treasury Board Secretariat of the Government of Canada. It thoroughly explains steps and methods to conduct an evaluation of a government program.

This web resource from Purdue OWL outlines what a memo is, describes the parts of a memo, and provides examples and explanations that will make your memos more effective.

An article from the Harvard Business Review. This deals with business writing, but contrasts and compares bad and good writing in a way that translates to other disciplines.