RESEARCH PROJECT LESSONSocial Studies Harrison Center

INTRODUCTION Students create research projects as a

method to show detailed analysis of a subtopic within their course of study.

When completed, the idea is that they are the “resident expert” on the topic, and should have more in-depth knowledge than their peers on the subject matter.

CHOOSING A TOPIC The first step is choosing a topic. Students, in most cases, have complete

control over the topic they choose to research, as long as it falls within the parameters of the course they are taking.

The purpose of leaving the topic open ended is to allow students to learn, in more depth, about a subject that interests them.

It also gives them the freedom to survey many different topics of study before choosing a subject, which can lead to connections between different topics and potential for imprinting (learning) about more things than previously anticipated.

CHOOSING A TOPIC When choosing a topic to research in depth

for Social Studies, students should first look at the parameters of the subject matter in which they are researching.

An example would be, if a student is to be researching a topic from U.S. History I, the topic needs to be within the time constraints of the years that encompass U.S. History I (roughly the 1600’s to the 1930’s).

Students will be doing an in depth research project on the topic, so they should highly consider topics that are of interest; this will make reading and researching more enjoyable.

USING INTERNET SEARCH ENGINES At the onset of beginning the research

process, students need to know the best types of sources to use in support of their topic. Due to the almost unlimited sources of information found on the internet, students will most likely find most, if not all, information through internet sources.

The first part of internet research is using a search engine or internet directory to locate relevant and related information on the topic being searched.

Major search engines include Google, Bing, and Yahoo along with several lesser known, but useful sites.

INTERNET SEARCH ENGINES, CONT. These sites will display results based on the matching and frequency of use of the typed in search keywords. Typically, the top resources displayed are the sources that have the best matches of keywords and frequency, which should make those sources the most relevant. Students should NOT limit themselves to one search engine in hopes to find all the relative information. After trying the same keyword search in multiple search engines, students should be able to see patterns, like the same websites, or websites with the same links being used.

These results will most likely be the most relative to their search, and may be the best sources used in their research.

INTERNET SEARCH ENGINES- ADVANCED Just using keywords to search alone will not

open enough options and opportunities in the amount and accuracy of a topic.

The way in which a student inputs the keywords can also alter the results of the search results.

INTERNET SEARCH ENGINES- ADVANCED For instance, if a person is searching for

information on the topic of illegal immigration, a student can start by typing in the keywords ‘illegal immigration’ and perusing the results.

However, by simply modifying the keyword input, the results of the search can dramatically change, for better or for worse.

Students should consider using synonyms (words that are different but have the same meaning), if possible, to view different result sources.

Instead of searching for illegal immigrants, student could try the keywords ‘illegal aliens’.

INTERNET SEARCH ENGINES- ADVANCED Students may also find that the search

results are too broad to their topic. In this case, there are keywords and symbols that can be used to help narrow the search.

The first consideration should be typing in keywords or short phrases that will display narrower search results.

In the previous example, if a student was trying to find information on illegal immigration in a certain part of the U.S., they should consider typing things like ‘illegal immigration in Arizona’ or ‘illegal immigration in the southwest region of the U.S.’.

INTERNET SEARCH ENGINES- ADVANCED Another way of achieving more direct search

results are by using Boolean words, or words that will combine or omit portions of a search. The most common Boolean words are ‘and’, ‘or’, and ‘not’.

An example would be searching for ‘illegal immigration and Arizona’

INTERNET SEARCH ENGINES- ADVANCED Students can also refine their search to

include results that only include the keywords used exactly as typed (or searched).

When searching for ‘illegal immigration’, a student might consider using quotation marks around their keywords- “illegal immigration”. This will display only results where the words

‘illegal immigration’ are found together, and omit the sources where the words ‘illegal’ and ‘immigration’ are found within the same source, but not in conjunction.

INTERNET SEARCH ENGINES All of these search methods need to be

considered and/or attempted before students get serious about using the information provided in the results of their search.

Consistency and repetition among search engines as well as consistency, patterns, and relativity among website results will provide the student with the best foundation for beginning research.

CONDUCTING RESEARCH AND EVALUATION OF SOURCES Once a student has mastered the basics of

using internet search engines, they are ready to move on to the actual research portion of their project.

Once a search has been conducted, the student will be given a vast array of information on the topic or keywords entered.

The results usually display in order of websites that are most cross-referenced by other websites, meaning the website at the top (with the exception of the advertisement sites if any) will have the most amount of links to it from other websites discussing the keywords searched.

EVALUATION OF SOURCES The next task at hand is the evaluation

of the sources provided by the search. This is the most difficult part of the

research process, because it requires students to closely examine not only the content of the source, but the entire source itself.

When evaluating a website, there are a number of things that students need to consider before relying on and using the information provided.

TYPE OF SOURCE The source or provider of the website can be identified

by looking at the URL domain. There are a number of URL domains and each suffix provides a different meaning or agenda to the type and way the information is presented on the website. The following are a few examples of the most common domains:

- .edu Educational site (academic, college, or university)

- .com Commercial site (business or company) - .gov U.S. non-military governmental agency site - .mil U.S. military site - .net Networks and internet service providers - .int International organization - .org Non-profit, non-academic, non- governmental

organization

TYPE OF SOURCE If the web site has a suffix with a country

abbreviation, example .uk (United Kingdom) or .ca (Canada), the website’s origin/organization is from that country.

The suffix of a website can provide insight into how reliable the information provided is.

For instance .com sites are typically trying to promote a business and or a product. These sites will have more bias as they are trying to make money.

More reliable suffix sites include .edu, .gov, and .org; these sites typically are created and maintained to provide information with less bias.

AUTHORITY The internet does not prevent anyone from

putting information out. An important thing students need to look for once

they have referenced a “reliable” site is the author(s) of the information.

Students should look for information on the author(s) including: education level; experience; where they work;

credentials (degree[s] or certifications); email addresses; biographical information; affiliations.

The more academic, scholarly, or just associated an author is in relation to the topic, the better information provided should be.

ACCURACY Just because it’s on the internet does NOT mean it

is truthful or factual. There are several things to look for to help

determine how accurate the information is. Students should look for detailed explanations of

the topic they are attempting to research. The information should be factual and detailed

and provide a solid knowledge base of information on the topic.

Students should also make sure to cross-reference their findings to ensure that the facts are consistent between the various authors.

Obvious factual errors and discrepancies along with basic errors including spelling and grammar should provide a red flag to students to tread lightly before using the information provided.

CURRENCY Once something is posted on the

internet, it is basically there for eternity. A website can be published and the

author might decide to move on to a new site or new material and never bother to update the original information.

Students should look for publication dates, usually found on the bottom of websites.

They should also look for revision dates to ensure that the site is being properly maintained.

CURRENCY Other key things to watch for are outdated sources

in which the author has used to publish their information.

With the exception of primary sources (sources that have come from a moment in history, like a letter written by George Washington) secondary sources, dissertations, academic publications, etc. should be current.

When navigating the site, check for dead end web links. If there is a number of links to supporting websites that do not work, the information provided is probably outdated along with its sources.

OBJECTIVITY All sources provide some sort of angle,

or bias, upon which they are written. This does not mean that the source is

a bad source; students just have to evaluate the source to ensure that information is factual and not misconstrued just to make a point.

The site should provide factual based information in as neutral of a tone/language as possible.

The goals or purpose of the website should be clear, if not clearly stated.

OBJECTIVITY Some forms of bias include:

flat-out lies; misuse, twisting, or taking out of original context of statistical or factual information; emotional language and tone (trying to persuade the reader); vague or broad generalizations; oversimplification of the subject (“dumbing down”); arguments are one-sided and do not present both sides of the story; are there advertisements on the website- these might prove a subtle slant or bias.

Examples of websites that are sure to include bias are blogs, editorials or personal columns, commercial websites that are trying sell a product and personal websites with no “credible” author (ex. Joe Website just sharing his feelings, beliefs, and personal knowledge).

COVERAGE/REASONABLENESS Many websites that a search brings back will

just touch on the basic information regarding the topic that was originally searched.

When doing a research based project, students’ objective is to delve deeper into the knowledge pool in order to get more detail oriented.

Students should be looking to reference websites that provide a wealth of detailed and in depth information as opposed to the basic knowledge that can be found in a textbook. This “tip of the iceberg” information should be

common knowledge for most students who have been exposed to the material.

COVERAGE/REASONABLENESS Students first should look to see if the

information provided is relevant to their topic.

Sometimes the keyword search brings back a website that includes the keyword(s) but the information is completely off topic.

Students should consider the level at which the information reads. If it is too difficult to understand, they may misuse the

information in their project.

COVERAGE/REASONABLENESS Students look to see if the website is

covering all aspects of the topic, including the opposing view points (if applicable).

A well covered and reasonable website is more credible and relevant than one that does not provide enough, if any, information.

SOURCES When researching a topic, authors should be using

a variety of reliable sources from which their materials were gathered.

Students should check to see that there are additional resources or sites used by the author to back up their claims.

If a site does not contain any reference sites or materials, the website in question could be strictly opinionated or based on the authors’ personal knowledge only and the site should probably not be used.

Good resources always provide links or at least a list of sources from which their information was cultivated.

SOURCES Along with just checking for supporting resources,

students should highly consider using the additional links to dig deeper in their research.

As previously stated, cross-referencing sources is the best way to ensure that the facts stay the same with each site used.

A good case in point of using linked resources is if a student starts their research with Wikipedia. This site, although similar in comparison to a hard

copy, “old fashioned” encyclopedia, is a good starting point, a better application of the website is found at the bottom where the additional links and resources cited are found.

NOTE TAKING Once students have found a website(s)

worthy of using as a base for information, the next step is taking notes.

The most common methods of note-taking include hand writing the information on a separate piece of paper and typing the information into a word processor (ex. Microsoft Word).

Students should take notes in a manner in which they can use the information when creating their project.

The notes should be taken so that students can reference the information at any time and understand what it means.

NOTE TAKING Each set of notes should be linked with the specific

website, including the web address or URL, so that students can access the original source at any given time.

These specific websites will also need to be included on a reference or works cited page attached to the project.

Students should consider three basic methods of note-taking: directly quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing. The majority of a students work should be done

using paraphrasing and summarizing with only occasional direct quotes.

DIRECTLY QUOTING If a student feels that the information provided

in a website is worded in a way that very strongly supports their project, the student can directly quote the statement by re-typing the statement exactly word-for-word and enclosing the statement in quotations (“ “).

The student must also make sure to include the exact website address in the reference page from which the quote was taken.

It is highly advised that the student also make reference to the source immediately within the project, either directly after or at least on the same page, slide, etc. in which the quote appears.

DIRECTLY QUOTING There are very strict and precise rules for directly

quoting statements from websites (as well as other sources).

However, due to the intricacies and sophistication, these guidelines will not apply to the final grading process unless the student is using quotes and claiming the work as original and/or their own voice within the project.

Students should only use quotes if the phrasing is very supportive, convincing, or ultimately the most precise way of stating something.

A project should not be primarily developed using quotes; they are a secondary method of presenting the information.

PARAPHRASING Paraphrasing is used to condense a particular

segment or piece of another authors work by restating the information in your own words.

Paraphrasing usually ends up similar in length to the original source, or slightly smaller.

It involves re-stating the information in a way that completely changes the sentence(s), and not by simply adding, deleting, or changing a few words here and there.

The source(s) from which the paraphrased information originated needs to be cited using the specific web address (not just www.wikipedia.com) on the reference page attached to the assignment.

PARAPHRASING One method to consider for paraphrasing a source

would be to take the information you have read and restate it, or actually say it, in a more simple form. First, read the original source. Then minimize the website source. Next, think of the main idea(s) from the particular

sentence(s) you are paraphrasing. Finally, restate the main idea of the sentence(s) by

saying out loud and/or writing it down.

SUMMARIZING Summarizing is used to condense the main idea of

another authors work by restating the information in your own words.

Summarizing usually ends up a bit shorter in length than the original idea or statement.

It involves re-stating the information in a way that completely changes the sentence(s), and not by simply adding, deleting, or changing a few words here and there.

The source(s) from which the paraphrased information originated needs to be cited using the specific web address (not just www.wikipedia.com) on the reference page attached to the assignment.

SUMMARIZING One method to consider for summarizing a

source would be to take the information you have read and restate it, or actually say it, in a more simple form. First, read the original source. Then minimize the website source. Next, think of the main idea of the source as a

whole (ex. A particular paragraph, or page- more than just a sentence or two where paraphrasing would be the best method).

Finally, restate the main idea by saying out loud and/or writing it down.

ORGANIZING INFORMATION Once students have gathered all of the

necessary information about their topic, they need to organize it in preparation for presentation.

In some Social Studies classes (U.S. History and World History) students are dealing with events from the past.

Typically, the best method or organization for these projects will be chronological (time or sequence) order.

This means that most topics will have a particular start date and a particular end date, with a multitude of events occurring in order in between.

ORGANIZING INFORMATION Students should approach organizing their

information in order from the first occurring date (ex. Birth of a significant person), key achievements or events (ex. Majority or how they spent their life), and the end date (ex. Last days and/or death of said person).

For most projects a chronological approach will be the easiest to organize and create.

A primary example of chronological organization would be using an outline.

ORGANIZING INFORMATION Another approach, less commonly used in

social studies, would be to chunk the information together into subtopics according to relevance and relationship.

A topic might not have a solid chronological time frame in which to follow so the student will look to break the information down into smaller (sub) topics.

ORGANIZING INFORMATION To do this, the student will take all of the subtopic information that is similar and chunk it together to form a main idea. These core subtopic main ideas put together will form and support the project’s main idea or focus. An example of organizing a topic into subtopics or chunks would be an idea web where the main topic is the center bubble and the core subtopics branch out from there. Each subtopic will then have branches with supporting ideas and pieces of research.

PLAGIARISM Plagiarism is described as taking someone

else’s work, words, or ideas and claiming it as your own.

This can be done both intentionally and unintentionally.

Whenever someone else’s work is used to develop a project, it always needs to be cited on a reference or works cited page.

PLAGIARISM Plagiarism also extends into other forms of

ideas as well. Borrowing pictures, photographs, artwork,

video clips, audio clips, graphs and charts are other forms of information that also need to be cited when referenced in a student project.

It is not enough to put the search engine which generated the alternative idea- students must cite the specific website in which it originated.

PLAGIARISM There is such as thing as “common knowledge”

with certain ideas and information. Common knowledge is a term loosely used about

ideas or concepts that are general enough that any person can easily find or that the audience of the project should know.

If the same information can be found presented on several (5 or more) websites/ sources then the information is such that it can be granted common knowledge status.

However, students should always cite any sources used even for common knowledge information.

PLAGIARISM In the event that students claim the work of

others as their own (using a phrase, idea, image, etc. without proper citation) the consequences may include but are not limited to: 1) the student may be asked revisit the

assignment and correctly paraphrase, summarize, quote, cite, etc. until the project is found to be free of plagiarism;

2) the student will receive a failing grade and/or zero credit for the assignment;

3) the student will receive a reduced grade in the class and/or a failing grade for the entire class;

4) the student will face formal discipline charges including but not limited to a LOR and/or suspension.

CITING SOURCES All websites, resources, ideas, alternative

material, etc. that is used in the creation of the students assignment must be cited in a works cited or references page.

The works cited page is not something that a student should wait until the end of the assignment to create.

It is something that the student needs to put together throughout the process of the assignment to ensure that every sources gets cited, thus reducing the risk of plagiarism.

CITING SOURCES Students using internet based information need to

include the specific web address of each website where they gathered some form of information.

Again, citation of sources extends beyond text and includes everything that a student borrows for an assignment.

A specific web address is not simply the address of the search engine or general home page where the information was found.

If a student uses Google to search for a topic, for instance, than www.google.com is not the citation.

The website(s) and specific page website address within that website from which Google returned the search would be the citation.

CITING SOURCES The same should be said for pictures (the most

common text alternative used) as well. Google, for example, only returns thumbnail

images but is not the actual host of those images. If a student has any question whether or not to

cite a resource used they should ask their teacher and/or cite it anyway.

When in doubt, always cite the resource.