English I with Mrs. Axel and Mr. Dean Research Strategies English I with Mrs. Axel and Mr. Dean

How can I find what I need? Finding credible, useful information can be a challenge! There is an overabundance of information available to you—you need to find the most efficient and effective ways to conduct academic research. Academic research is not Googling a question! Google is a useful tool, however there are 6 specific steps which we will follow to conduct research.

Step 1: Task Definition What is the information problem? What do you want your research to achieve? What information do you need? Develop a research question or set of questions to drive your inquiry. Research questions need to feel “just right”. If your question is too broad, you will have too much to answer. However, if your question is too narrow, there will not be enough information to answer your question.

Examples of Research Questions How do reality TV shows portray African American women? What are the components of a successful elementary school bullying prevention program? What are the benefits and costs of implementing an after hours campus safety program?

Step 2: Info Seeking Strategies Determine all Sources Where can you find answers? Select the Best Sources Which sources will provide relevant, accurate information?

Evaluating Sources: Questions to Consider Is the information still valid and up-to-date? Is the information accurate? What are the author’s credentials? What kinds of materials does the publisher produce? Is the source objective or biased? How much information does the source cover? Is the source relevant? Evaluating Sources: Questions to Consider http://www.columbiatribune.com/1c5d9e44-f3c6-5326-be8e-d6047f3663a6.html

Objective vs. Biased objective: not influenced by personal feelings or opinions biased: unfairly prejudiced for or against something

Scan Using the Internet pages 1295-1297 What are 2 important tips about using the Internet provided in these pages? Write down 1 new thing you learned from these pages. 

Primary and Secondary Sources Primary Sources materials written or created by people who were present at events, either as participants or observers Examples: letters, diaries, photographs, autobiographies, interviews, emails, public documents, first- person newspaper or magazine articles Secondary Sources records of events that were written or created after the events occurred by people who were not directly involved in the events Examples: encyclopedias, textbooks, biographies, documentaries, some newspaper and magazine articles

Databases Databases are online collections of published works (articles, journals, etc.) Advantages: no ads, targeted, reliable sources, many include the works cited information in MLA format. Useful databases at NDHS: Discovery Education World Book Online SIRS http://dcpsreference.weebly.com/databases.html

Step 3: Location and Access Locate Sources Use the resources provided to locate sources that will best support your inquiry. Find Information Within Sources Scan the located sources to determine which provide the information you are seeking.

Step 4: Use of Information Engage View, read, listen Extract Relevant Information Take notes: paraphrase, summarize, or quote sources Be sure to keep track of your sources!

Paraphrasing vs. Summarizing Paraphrase Summary Captures all ideas from the original source About the same length as the original source Presents the main idea of the original source May include key facts/statistics Shorter than the original source (omits unnecessary detail)

Plagiarism: The unauthorized use of others’ words or ideas. Avoiding Plagiarism Guidelines: Enclose all original material in quotation marks. If you want to leave out phrases or sentences, insert an ellipses (…) in place of the omitted material. If you need to add a word or phrase to clarify an idea, enclose it in brackets [ ]. Plagiarism: The unauthorized use of others’ words or ideas.

Organize Information from Multiple Sources Step 5: Synthesis Organize Information from Multiple Sources Present the Information Consider your audience and purpose—what platform will best support your presentation?

Step 6: Evaluate Judge the Process What worked well for you? What will you change next time? Judge the Product Did you effectively resolve the information problem?

You can use this slide as your opening or closing slide You can use this slide as your opening or closing slide. Should you choose to use it as a closing, make sure you review the main points of your presentation. One creative way to do that is by adding animations to the various graphics on a slide. This slide has 4 different graphics, and, when you view the slideshow, you will see that you can click to reveal the next graphic. Similarly, as you review the main topics in your presentation, you may want each point to show up when you are addressing that topic. Add animation to images and graphics: Select your image or graphic. Click on the Animations tab. Choose from the options. The animation for this slide is “Split”. The drop-down menu in the Animation section gives even more animations you can use. If you have multiple graphics or images, you will see a number appear next to it that notes the order of the animations. Note: You will want to choose the animations carefully. You do not want to make your audience dizzy from your presentation. Any Questions?