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 together6. 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 don’t 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 sourcesEvaluate 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 sourcesFind 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 don’t 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

IndexWhat 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 EngineWhat 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

searchAIDS 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, you’d search Renaissance NOT Harlem OR is used when your list is too small – try using related

words or synonymsAIDS 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 don’t just get information

about the city of Harlem and the Renaissance of Europe

Search EngineBoolean 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 don’t 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 I’m 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/reliabilityYou 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.