It’s usually fine to use non-UK research in a UK undergraduate assignment, as long as you use it critically and appropriately. International studies are especially useful when you’re discussing a global topic, when the UK lacks sufficient research, or when you’re drawing on widely accepted theories that originated elsewhere. Non-UK studies are also appropriate when your assignment involves comparing the UK with other countries, or when high-quality international evidence helps strengthen your argument.
However, you need to be more careful when the assignment requires UK-specific policy or context, or when findings from another country may not transfer well because of cultural, legal, or systemic differences. In these cases, you may wish to avoid non-UK research. If you do cite it, you should explain its limitations and relevance to the UK. It’s good practice to justify why you’ve used an international source and to show that you’ve considered how well it applies to the UK setting.
Don’t choose non-UK studies because they are the first ones you've found. Ask yourself if the research informs UK practice or directly relates to the UK, and make your arguments for this in your assignment. Do not simply assert that they do.
