1. Writing is easy. All you do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead. --- Gene Fowler Conducting Research

2. Where do I get the information? How do I know it is good information? How do I cite the information? How do I actually write the research?

3. The Research Cycle 1. Question 2. Plan 3. Gather 4. Sort, Sift, Analyze 5. Synthesize 6. Evaluate The Research Cycle http://library.bellevue.edu/buildit/images/student_researching.jpg

4. Where do I get the information?

5. What is bias? Bias is a prejudiced opinion. Be aware of your source. What is their audience? What is the source? Even visual references can lead you astray. What is shown? Better yet, what is not shown? www.tenbyten.org

6. How do I know it is good information?

7. You can’t go wrong with this trusted, valid internet site. Excellent Internet Site http://www.ncwiseowl.org

8. Evaluating Internet Resources URL of Web site: Name of Web site: Primary use: (mark all that apply)  students  teachers  general public  others: What is the purpose or goal of this Web site? (Examples: inform/educate, sell/promote, entertain, etc.) What organization or individual created this site? Do they have affiliations that might create a built-in bias toward the information? (e.g., political or social agenda)

9. What type of sources are there?

10. Primary vs. Secondary Sources Primary Sources Primary sources are records of events as they are first described, without any interpretation or commentary. They are also sets of data, such as census statistics, which have been tabulated, but not interpreted.

11. Primary vs. Secondary Sources Secondary Sources Secondary sources are an analysis or a restatement of primary sources. They often attempt to describe or explain primary sources. Some secondary sources not only analyze primary sources, but use them to argue a contention or to persuade the reader to hold a certain opinion. Examples of secondary sources include: dictionaries, encyclopedias, textbooks, and books and articles that interpret or review research works.

12. Primary SourceSecondary Source ArtOriginal artwork Article critiquing the piece of art HistorySlave diary Book about the Underground Railroad LiteraturePoem Treatise on a particular genre of poetry Political Science Treaty Essay on Native American land rights Theatre Videotape of a performance Biography of a playwright Examples of Primary and Secondary Sources

13. How do I cite the information?

14. MLA - Masters of Language Arts There are different styles, such as APA, MLA, and others. You need to check with the teacher or professor since different disciplines and publishers expect different formats. Citing Resources

15. How do I actually write the research?

16. Students often skip this step. They print out journal articles and information from the Internet. Then they frantically flip through this pile of paper while balancing a stack of books on their lap. They try to remember where they read this and who said that. There must be a better way! Of course, there is. Carefully taken, organized notes will save you from all that frustration. The Art of Taking Notes

17. Keep a running list of your sources, with complete bibliographic information. Make source cards and number them! Index cards work well - stick to one point per card, group cards with similar information, arrange in order according to outline Highlight information in your printouts (not in books, of course) as you read it. Then refer to the highlighted areas when taking notes. As you take notes, document where you found every bit of information, including page numbers. Mark the source number too. When you are taking notes, use your own words to briefly capture the basic meaning or facts. Copy information word for word only if you are planning to use it as a direct quote. Then clearly mark it as such.

18. FIRST Create Source Cards You need a note card for every source you use. Write the information on the source card in the same format as you find it written on the Works Cited page

19. The Example Source 1 Jago, Carol. Alice Walker in the classroom: Living by the Word”. Illonois: National Council of English Teachers, 2000. Pages 10-15

20. How to Research ***for a research paper that is 4 to 6 pages, the approximate number of notes cards ranges from 60 to 100.

21. How to: Continued Use only one idea per card Place the source number in the top right corner Place the page number in the bottom right corner Give each card a specific topic Example: early life

22. The Example Source 1 Family Ties What major events in this author’s personal life influenced his or her works? For the purpose of aggravating Alice, her brothers would destroy anything she wrote, so she began to create poems in her head. This ability to create images in her head influences her writings today. pg. 7

23. Continued Source 1 Family Ties Influences in writing: The same brothers accidentally shot her in the eye with a BB, and eventually, she became blind in that one eye…it turned into what she called a “glob”. The themes of vulnerability, inner verses outer beauty, and “a celebration of the natural world continues to inspire Alice.” Pages 2-3