How to Research

Research Paper AssignmentResearch Paper AssignmentIdentify what the assignment requires: topic possibilities number of sources type of sources (journal, book, Internet, databases) citation requirements (MLA, APA, Chicago) presentation requirements (oral or written) length of paper due date

Getting StartedGetting Started

• Choose a topic based on requirements.• Ask yourself questions:

• What do I know about the topic?• What would I like to learn?• What will others learn from reading my

paper?

Formulate a Research QuestionFormulate a Research QuestionStart by finding background information on

your topic:– World Book Encyclopedia– Specialized Encyclopedia– Library Catalogs– Wikipedia (only for an overview NOT an

accepted source)

Personal Exploration of Personal Exploration of TopicTopic

Once you have familiarized yourself with the topic:

List Key Words – list words that describe your topic

Clustering/Webbing - create a web that links terms together (an example of webbing is on the next slide)

Webbing - red is the topic

1.Relax. Play some creative music. 2.Spelling or style doesn't count.3.Don't worry about organization. 4.Free-associate ideas. Keep them simple. 5.Write or sketch as quickly as you can. 6.Write or sketch in any order. 7.Develop all ideas. 8.Keep working.

®Content and materials published in http://www.graphic.org site may be duplicated for educational, non-profit, single school use only.

Formulate a QuestionFormulate a QuestionDecide what question you want to answer

with your research. Formulate a Question – the answer to the

question becomes your thesis question.For example:

– How does exercise improve someone’s mental health?– What are the effects of violent video games on elementary

school children?– What was the impact of Cubism on early twentieth century

culture?– Should elementary schools provide more programming in the

arts?

Starting Your ResearchStarting Your ResearchDecide what kind of information you need

based on your research assignment. The information will be determined by your

topic and assignment requirements:– Current or historical or both– Biographical information– Criticism and analysis– Statistics– And More

Finding Information in BooksFinding Information in Booksl Find Books – Check the Oak Grove School library

on-line catalog or the Cook Library Catalog www.Cooklib.org

l Stop by and see a librarian at school or at Cook Library.

l Do they have the book at Cook Library? Reserve it!l If the book is not available at Cook, ask the librarian

to request the book from another library for you.

Decide on the Decide on the Usefulness of a BookUsefulness of a Book

1. How to Evaluate a Book for the Assignment:

a. Read title as clue to content

b. Scan table of contents

c. Search for key terms in book index

2. Look at books located on the shelf near this book.

Finding Information in Finding Information in JournalsJournals

1. Find Journal Articles in electronic databases:

Electronic Databases (they do not count as internet sources).

2. Ask the Librarian about the best databases to search on your topic:

i.e., InfoTrac Expanded Academic – Journal Articles - full text or citation (find actual journal through the library)

Decide on the Usefulness of Decide on the Usefulness of Journal ArticlesJournal Articles

Evaluate usefulness of journal articles for assignment:– Read title and subtitle as clue to content.– Read abstract if available.– Check key terms at end of article for related

links to further explore topic.

Finding Information Finding Information Using Internet ResourcesUsing Internet Resources

1. Select a search engine.

2. Use Boolean terms (and, or, not) to narrow or broaden your search.

3. Exact Phrase search (“ ”)

4. Terms you want to exclude (NOT or -)

5. Describe what you need with as few terms as possible.

6. Choose descriptive words.

7. Can the info be verified? SITE

Examples of AND, OR, NOTExamples of AND, OR, NOT

Decide on the Usefulness of Decide on the Usefulness of Internet Site InformationInternet Site Information

1. Evaluate Internet site:a. find source of the site and information

Who is responsible for the website? Who provided the information?

• a person who is known in the field of study.• an organization that is reputable, i.e.

American Cancer Society.

b. note currency of site – when was it last updated?

c. assess relevance of information to the assignment.

Can the URL help you Can the URL help you determine reliability?determine reliability?

.edu Institution for higher learning, generally dependable.

.gov Government sponsored.mil Military government affililated.int International organizations such as

World Health Organization.com, .net, .org be careful anyone can make

a website

Ask a Librarian for SupportAsk a Librarian for Support

A librarian can assist you with the process of finding information sources for your assignment.

Stop by Cook Library. Mon-Thurs 9-9, Fri 9-6, Sat 9-5, Sun 1-5

Contact the librarian via e-mail, online chat or in person.

Taking NotesTaking Notes Organizing Your Research Using Note Cards

– Read source actively by highlighting important information.

– Record quotes that you may want to use later and include source and page number on card.

– Create paraphrases and summaries on note cards directly from your research.

– Record on each note card the source card number and page number for later reference.

Avoid PlagiarismAvoid Plagiarism

You must give credit whenever you use…– another person’s idea;– any facts, statistics, graphs, drawings that are

not common knowledge;– quotations of another person’s actual spoken or

written words; or– Paraphrase of another person’s spoken or

written words.

Works Cited HelpWorks Cited Help

Purdue Online Writing Lab-For this project you will be using MLA Formatting. Use this guide and example to help you cite sources correctly.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/

www.easybib.com www.bibme.com

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

The original module was supported by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners through a LSTA Grant.

Marge Lippincott, Dean of Information Technology and Learning Resources, coordinated the effort and created the PowerPoint with Judy Harding and Christine McLaughlin.

“Putting it all Together: Teaching the Research Process” by Diana Barnett