Finding Research Writing Research-Based Papers

The purpose of research is to find more out about a topic To explain what you learn to a reader or viewer

1. Define the task. 2. Information Seeking Strategies 3. Locate and Access Information 4. Use the information 5. Synthesis: Putting it together 6. Evaluation

Determine what it is you are trying to find. Be sure about the job you have to do. What does DEFINE mean? How would you DEFINE a word? What would you think about before? How would you find the answer Think-Pair-Share

Writing a Statement of Purpose What is it? A statement of what you want to learn about in your project Why do I need it? You will get more interested It will keep you from getting overwhelmed with all the information you might find. It will help you with your thesis statement It saves you time When/how? 1. What is your personal interest? What do I want to learn about my topic? (pick 3 things)

Why are these too general? What did they do to make them more specific? Think-pair- share Work with one other person to develop your Statement of Purpose

Now, brainstorm what you will be looking for: What do you already know about the topic? What is required for your paper or assignment? What specific questions do you have about the topic? How will I cite the resources I use? What do you need to look up for this project? What are the due dates for this project? Helpful hint: get a calendar and write the due dates on it. This way you dont get marked down Your ticket out the door today is your statement of intent and your brainstorming sheet.

Goals during step 2: Determine the range of possible sources Evaluate the different possible sources to determine priorities

Questions to ask: What sources can I use? Think about what kind of information you need: Quotations, maps, diaries, political cartoons, song lyrics, diagrams, narratives, statistics Where can you find that information? Books, magazine articles, newspaper articles, maps/atlases, expert people, site visits (museums, etc), TV shows, radio shows, sound recordings, electronic databases, websites Make a wish list of sources. Let your imagination go free when you brainstorm. Write-Pair-Share

Which sources are the BEST for me to use? Consider time and money – choose what is appropriate for this assignment. HIGHLIGHT the ones that are the best fits for this assignment.

Goals: Locate sources Find information within the sources Questions to ask: Where do I go to find each of the sources I want to use? How can I find what I need in these places? Who can help me if I dont know how to use an online catalog or find what I need? How do I find the information I need within the sources

Questions to ask: How do I find the information I need within the sources? How is the source organized? Table of contents, alphabetical order, search within site How will I know what to look for in the sources? Go back to your list of key words/phrases

Using a Table of Contents: Where is it found? _____________________________________________ When to use it When you are looking for a BROAD topic in a book or magazine

Index What is it Alphabetical listing of subjects in an informational book, along with page numbers Where is it found? In a book: ___________________________________ Periodicals: Magazines, newspapers, and journals From the last 20 years are available in online format Have indexes that help you to search by subject, keyword, and date Very helpful for current research; in college, you will be REQUIRED to use periodicals on a regular basis.

Search Engine What is it Robots that look through thousands of websites for the words you ask them to find Success depends upon Search engine you use The way you enter key words How well you evaluate information on a site.

Search Engine Boolean Logic/Boolean Operators – link keywords and phrases AND or the + sign are used when you want to limit your search AIDS and France and Statistics NOT or the – sign are used when you want to limit your search you want the Renaissance in Europe NOT the one in Harlem, youd search Renaissance NOT Harlem OR is used when your list is too small – try using related words or synonyms AIDS or HIV and France and Statistics When you want 2 or more words together as a phrase, search with quotation marks: Harlem Renaissance so you dont just get information about the city of Harlem and the Renaissance of Europe

Search Engine Boolean Logic/Boolean Operators – link keywords and phrases (continued) When you want 2 or more words together as a phrase, search with quotation marks: Harlem Renaissance so you dont just get information about the city of Harlem and the Renaissance of Europe

How do you evaluate information on websites? Or What do I think about when Im using a website for research? What should it contain? Write-Pair-Share

How do you evaluate information on websites? Reliability of author Is there a way to contact them? Are they an expert in the field? Accuracy of the information How does the information compare to reliable information you have already found in encyclopedias, books, or periodical articles – all of which have been written or edited by an expert

How do you evaluate information on websites? Bias of the author/site Is there a motive in creating this site other than to give you information? Do they want you to buy something or do something else? Currency of the site When was it last updated? Typically, you want to avoid outdated information Ease of Navigation How easy is it to get around on the site? Professional sites are usually easy to navigate

Webquest – website accuracy/reliability You have the rest of class today and all of class tomorrow to complete webquest. It is due at the END OF CLASS tomorrow. It is worth 30 points and is your first writing grade of the semester.