Smart Research: Sources and Citing
After finding background information, find sources that address your research question Your model for the Extended Essay is a JOURNAL ARTICLE So your sources should probably be…JOURNAL ARTICLES (or books, reputable websites, etc.) JOURNAL ARTICLES are found in databases You should know how to search databases effectively Use the pathfinders people!
Evaluate what you find. Really read those sources Credibility (can we trust the author?) Accurate? Reasonable? Sources? (Is the information cited or attributed to experts?) These are some of the same criteria your essay is graded on
Set with sources? Now get set to cite Richard Wright and his Royal Arrow typewriter
Start by choosing a style
Check with your advisor first!
Name your project
Your dashboard helps you track and organize your work
Keep your focus
Assignments, links, calendar…
Use feedback from your instructor to improve your work
Teacher’s comment is next to your citation
Bibliography screen
Choose the best match from the drop-down menu What’s your source?
Copy-and-paste to avoid spelling errors Fill in the form
Get help on each field
Help pops up!
Catch common errors…
…and make changes
Correctly formatted, correctly alphabetized
Share your list with your advisor, Ms. Cullen, Ms. Johnson… Get comments and Improve your work
Get fast, expert help when you need it
Analyze your list
Format, export, print… and you’re done!
Then, begin to take notes
List view shows notes
Source Notes Your notes and sources stay linked
Three-part notes 1.Cut-and-paste Capture author’s words, images – Get quotes and attribution right – Mark-up the quote to understand the author’s idea 2.Paraphrase or summarize Explain it to yourself – Tag concepts and facts – Add reminders and tasks 3.My ideas Prompts for original thinking – Analyze how it fits your research – Ask questions, evaluate ideas – List “to do” plan
Cut-and-paste first Author’s image Author’s words
You’ll get quotes and attribution right!
Reread and color-code information Red for problems Green for statistics Highlight main ideas
Annotating helps you understand
Explain it to yourself* *Using words that you understand
What do you think? I wonder…? “To do” next
Add the main idea last
Add tags now…or later* *It’s easier to add tags when you know more
You can always go back to the source Sometimes rereading clears up questions
Use your tabletop to organize notes Your new notes
Sort notes however you like! Drag notes
Make piles Group notes that you feel belong together
Take as many notes as you need to! Your tabletop is larger than the screen A bird’s eye view
Label your notes with visual cues Add reminders, colors and tags
Build your outline on-the-fly…
…or create it before you take notes
Drag notes and piles into your outline
Get help along the way Get feedback, make changes Print out Fill in Extended Essay drop box to share your list with your advisor, Ms. Cullen or Ms. Johnson to get tips and comments
Enough information? When you think you’re done, review your work Can I add more tags now that I know more? – Label details, themes, concepts Other ways to order my ideas? – Reorder by searching on 2-3 tags at once Any loose ends? Are there types of sources I missed ? – Use button to see the type and range of sources you used
Organizing information Create subtopics and outline What notes have similar titles or topics? – Pile them together – Add them to your outline Play with the order, be curious! What if I make new combinations of notes? – Search by one or more tags to find common ideas among notes What other ways can I order my outline? Do new grouping suggest new ways to analyze what I know? New ideas? New questions?
Don’t forget to follow your ideas!
Easy to add more sources if you need to!
…and your work can never get lost!