RESEARCH GUIDE

LEON M. GOLDSTEIN HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE SCIENCES

September 2011

Christian Del Ré Assistant Principal, Humanities

Joseph Zaza

Principal

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Table of Contents

Introduction…………………………………………………………………..………….1 Avoiding Plagiarism…………………………………………………………………….2 Step 1: Task Definition…………………………………………………………………………..3 Step 2 & 3 Seeking, Locating and Using Information……………………………………………6 Dewey Decimal System of Classification…………………………………………….6 Step 4: Collecting and Evaluating Information………………………………………………..8 Web Site Evaluation…………………………………………………………………….9 Source Cards…………………………………………..….…………………………….9 Note Cards and Types of Notes………………………………………………………10 Other Note Taking Methods……………………………………………......................11 Step 5: Synthesis – Outline…………………………………………………………………..…12 Annotated Bibliography………………………………..…………………………...…..13 Documenting Sources……………………………………………………………..…...14 Using Quotations…………………………………………………………………..……14 Format of a Research Paper……………………………………………………………15 Style Guide………………………………………………………………………………..18 Works Cited……………………………………………………………….…...................19 Citation Guide – Books…………………………………………………………………..19 Citation Guide – Encyclopedias……………………………………..…………….…….20 Citation Guide – Magazines and Newspapers…………………………………………21

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Citation Guide – Interviews………………………………………………………………22 Citation Guide - Videocassette, DVDs and Audios…………………………...……….23 Citation Guide - Electronic Sources………………………….……………………….... 24 Citation Sources - Miscellaneous Sources…………….………………........................26 Step 6: Evaluation…………………………………………………..……………………………...27 Research Organizer………………………………………………..……….…………….28 Web Site Evaluation Guide……………………………………….….…………………..31 Works Cited Rubric………………………………………………………………….……32 How to Read a Secondary Source………………………………………………….…..33 Works Cited…………………………………………………………….…………………36

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Introduction

Research is a process in which you search for information using various sources such as

books, online databases (especially when using periodicals) the Internet, interviews, etc. To

research correctly, you must be consistent in your methods. With the help of this Research

Guide, you will be led through the process of developing proper research skills. This guide was

designed to incorporate the Big 6 research process model, developed by Mike Eisenberg and

Bob Berkowitz, and the citation requirements are based on the MLA Handbook for Writers of

Research (7th edition). In addition, the OWL Purdue Online Writing Lab is an extremely helpful

site for questions concerning the MLA guidelines. There is an MLA PowerPoint presentation

at this site < http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ > that may be helpful for

individual as well class instruction. Please use the latest 7th

edition from the Modern Language

Association as a final authority on formatting and style questions that may arise. One specific

change is that URL addresses are no longer required and teachers should specify to their

students on their inclusion or not.

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Taking another person’s work and presenting it as your own is called Plagiarism. It is

AVOIDING PLAGIARISM

an extremely serious offense and may result in penalties, loss of credit, and/or failure. The following are ALL

examples of plagiarism:

1. Not using quotation marks when copying information directly from another source.

2. Not giving credit for information that is paraphrased. 3. Not including a Works Cited or Bibliography.

4. Using another person’s work or ideas (art, music, photography…) and calling it your

own.

To avoid plagiarism:

1. Paraphrase completely and cite accordingly.

2. Use quotation marks for any specific words or sentences you use.

3. Use parenthetical citations to document the source of your information.

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STEP 1: TASK DEFINITION

• Choose a subject – make sure it is of interest to you and that there is enough information on the subject.

• Narrowing the subject into a topic – a subject can be very broad. Select an aspect or section of the subject to concentrate on.

Examples of narrowing subject to a topic and subtopic:

SUBJECT TOPIC SUBTOPIC

Authors American Authors Stephen King Marine Science Marine Mammals Manatees Renaissance Artists of the Renaissance Leonardo Da Vinci

• Choose your essential/guiding question – use the narrowed topic (subtopic) to create your essential/guiding question. Use words such as how, why, should or could.

Examples of essential/guiding questions:

- How did Stephen King influence the horror genre in American literature?

- Should we restrict activity that negatively impacts the Florida manatee? - Could one of the figures in Da Vinci’s Last Supper be a woman?

• Create a thesis statement that will answer your essential/guiding question.

There are three types of thesis statements

:

Explanatory – organized information supporting a specific idea Argumentative – influence an audience to agree with the writer’s point of view Analytical – makes conclusions from facts and information gathered

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Developing a Research Topic

This exercise will help you detail what you already know about your topic and perhaps highlight some of your assumptions or biases. Your answers to these questions, along with other questions and thoughts that occur to you, will be useful as you plan your research strategy and begin your project. FIRST: State your topic simply in one or two sentences. WHY? Why did you select this topic? What interests you about it? Do you have an opinion on the issues involved? HOW? How do people refer to your topic? Do different groups use distinct terms to describe or discuss the issues? What keywords (phrases, buzzwords, vocabulary, jargon, etc.) are associated with your topic? WHERE? What places or areas will you include in your research? Are there specific regions, countries, states, or cities pertinent to your topic? Will you be comparing policy or legal practices in different places? Will you be examining religious or cultural values and practices concerning your topic?

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WHEN? Are you interested in finding current day, recent past, or historical information? Are there specific dates or periods of time associated with your topic? Will you be comparing past practice with today’s standards? WHO? Who is affected by the issues related to your topic? Who might write or publish information on the topic? Are specific professions or occupations associated with the issues? Do certain academic disciplines study the issues? Are there individuals who might form organizations concerned with the issues? Are there well known persons associated with the topic?

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STEP 2 & 3: SEEKING, LOCATING, AND USING INFORMATON

Once you have created your thesis statement, it is time to locate sources of information.

• Determine all possible sources

- Non Fiction Books (general or subject specific encyclopedia or Online Databases Author Series, etc.)

(Gale Student Resource Center, Grolier, EBSCO, Twayne

- Web sites Organizations/associations, sites authored by experts in their fields are most

(LMGHS web links, search engine hits, specific

recommended). - Periodicals -

(newspapers, magazines, etc.) Miscellaneous

(videos, sound recordings, interviews, etc.)

• Select the best sources – which source is the best to give you the quality of information you

need.

- Booksthe first source to refer to when starting research. To locate specific books, use the library’s OPAC – computer card catalog. Books are especially useful for:

provide well resourced, organized and reliable information. They should be

- Historical information - Biographical information - Opposing viewpoints (Pro’s and Con’s)

- Databases

Databases are helpful for:

provide the same quality information as books, but are available online and can be accessed from home. They should be the second source to consult when continuing your research.

- Subject specific information - Full text periodical articles - Literary criticism

- Internet

- Current events

provides current information on thousands of topics and is best for frequently updated subjects. You also may use the Internet to supplement information found using other sources. See the Web Site Evaluation Guide on page 31 for help on choosing a site. Internet is ideal for:

- Daily statistics, scores, weather - Medical breakthroughs

Dewey Decimal System of Classification

The library is the best place to start your research since you can access many of the sources listed previously. Materials in the Leon M. Goldstein High School Library are arranged in a specific way called the Dewey Decimal System. Public libraries also use the Dewey Decimal System. Colleges and universities classify materials by using the Library of Congress Classification.

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Below are the main categories of Dewey classification: 000 - GENERAL REFERENCE – Encyclopedias, Dictionaries & Almanacs 100 - PHILOSOPHY AND RELATED DISCIPLINES – Statistics, political science, economics, law, public administration, social problems and services, education, commerce, communication, transportation, customs, etiquette, folklore 200 - RELIGION – Religion and philosophy 300 - SOCIAL SCIENCES – Sociology, anthropology, cultural studies, social and political studies, social problems and issues 400 - LANGUAGE – World languages, grammar, language structure & usage, etymology, dictionaries, thesauri 500 – PURE SCIENCES – Mathematics, astronomy, physics, chemistry, earth science, paleontology, paleozoology, life sciences, botanical sciences, zoological sciences 600 -TECHNOLOGY AND APPLIED SCIENCES – Medical sciences, medicine, engineering/allied operations, agriculture and related technologies, home economics, family living, management, auxiliary services, chemical and related technologies, manufacturers, buildings 700 - THE ARTS/FINE ARTS AND DECORATIVE ARTS – Civic and landscape art, architecture, plastic arts, sculpture, drawing, decorative arts, painting, graphic arts, printmaking, prints, photography, music, recreation, performing arts 800 - LITERATURE – Rhetoric, poetry, drama, speeches, letters, short stories, anthologies, satire, humor, world literature 900 - GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY – Travel, biography, countries, genealogy

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STEP 4: COLLECTING AND EVALUATING INFORMATON

• As you discover your information in various sources, you should begin to determine the reliability and accuracy of the data. Being critical is especially important when using websites. Below are suggested questions to ask when evaluating print and online source material.

Reading with a Critical Eye (Print And Non Print)*

• Who is the author:

- Is the author’s background, education, credentials provided? - Are they a recognized expert on the topic?

• Is the source accurate?

- What is the copyright date? When was the site last updated? - Is the source current enough for your topic?

• What is the work about?

- What is the main idea? - Is the information meant to persuade, explain, inform, sell, and/or entertain? - Who is the target audience?

• How is the work organized?

- How are the main ideas arranged? Is the site easy to navigate? - What data does the author offer for their main point? - Does the author provide facts or evidence to support the topic? - Is there a table of contents, glossary, and/or index to aid in searching?

• Is the information presented objectively?

- Are the ideas of the author facts or their opinions? - Is the information biased? - Is the source trying to persuade you?

• Is the information relevant and meaningful to your research?

- Does it support your existing information? - Does it add a significant perspective to your topic?

*Including online, database, CD-ROM and video sources.

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• Web Site Evaluation

Using the same steps as reading with a critical eye, evaluating web sites is extremely important since information on the web is not regulated. Anyone can publish freely any information they wish. Although URL addresses have become less strict, traditionally the following domain names may help you decide the source of the website.

• .com (commercial companies and businesses) i.e.: www.barnesandnoble.com

• .org (organizations, especially non-profit) i.e.: www.redcross.org

• .edu (educational institutions, colleges, universities) i.e.: www.brooklyncollege.edu

• .gov (government organizations) i.e.: www.loc.gov (Library of Congress)

• .net (network resources i.e.: www.computing.net

The most trustworthy sites usually are represented by .org, .edu or .gov. Also, checking page links can determine if the website is current and well maintained. **Refer to the Web Site Evaluation Guide on page 31 for additional help.

• Source Cards

Source cards are a method of collecting Works Cited data on books, magazines, websites, videos, databases, etc. that you use during the research process. Use the format in the Works Cited section for your source card. The information on your source card will be numbered and become an entry on your Works Cited page. **Every source used needs a source card. Below is an example of a source card for a book:

Source # Last Name, First Name (Author). Title Place of Publication: Publisher, Date.

Medium of Publication.

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Note Cards Note-taking can be done in many forms such as recording facts in a notebook to typing information in Word. Traditionally, one method that has been successful is using note cards. Note cards are used for the purpose of organizing your thoughts and information before you write your paper. Note cards should include headings that will identify the main ideas of your various note cards. These headings will eventually make up your outline. Included also on your note card should be the name of the source or source number where you found your information, the author, and the page number. The following is an example of a standard note card. You may also use another method that works for you. HEADING SOURCE #

Notes… Author, Page #

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Types of Notes

There are three types of notes that are helpful when recording information. TYPE OF NOTE DESCRIPTION WHEN TO USE Quotations Using exact words from a

source. When the original statement is well worded and cannot be improved. When you are working with primary source material.

Paraphrase Restating the information in your own words.

When you want specific detailed information and to avoid plagiarism.

Summary Extracting and condensing main ideas from the source in your own words.

When you want general information from your source.

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Other Note Taking Methods

There are different ways to organize your notes and ideas in a logical manner. Graphic organizers such as Venn diagrams, webs, and flowcharts can be an ideal way to present information in a visual way and will aid you in writing your research paper or completing another type of research project.

InspirationTM (a type of software) is an excellent tool to help you create a graphic organizer. InspirationTM allows you to represent research in a visual manner and will allow you to generate an outline from your graphic organizer. Alternately, the software can display a graphic organizer from your outline. Note taking can be done using a word processing program (i.e. WordTM). Taking notes in this way can be useful but a drawback is that you need to have a computer handy. In a case where you don’t have access to a computer, you will need to take notes on paper and then transfer the information later into a word processing program. Different strategies can be utilized for storing notes and retrieving them at a later time. For a project that is short in length you could store all your notes in a single file. When completing a longer paper or project and using many different sources, you may want to create a file for each source. Still another strategy is to write out summaries and paraphrases and only use the computer to store quotations. By copying and pasting a quote in a word processing program, you can reduce the chance for not copying the quote correctly. Make sure you store a back up copy of your files on a disk.

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STEP 5: SYNTHESIS

Outline

After collecting resources and creating source/note cards, an outline can be prepared. The outline is your guide for writing your paper. The topics recorded on your note card (or other note taking methods) provide the basis for outline. Before you begin, here are some outlining tips:

> If you have an “A” you must have a “B” > If you have a “1” you must have “2” > Follow both letters and numbers with a Period

> The first letter of each line should be capitalized > Indent properly by lining up the Roman Numerals, letters and numbers > Paraphrase your information and do not use a period at the end of the Statement The following is a sample outline: Topic

– Manatees are an endangered species

I. The number of Manatees has decreased drastically (This is a main idea) A. Boaters harm them in the water (This is a subtopic) 1. Boaters go in protected areas (This is a detail) 2. The number of boaters in the water has increased (This is a detail) B. Their habitats are being destroyed (This is a subtopic 1. Their land is being taken for houses/malls (This is a detail) 2. Their land is being taken for road/highways (This is a detail) II. It is possible to stop their extinction (This is a main idea)

A. Support animal activist groups (This is a subtopic) 1. Join a local group (This is a detail) 2. Encourage others to help out (This is a detail)

B. Educate the community about your cause (This is a subtopic) C. Help create a protective environment (This is a subtopic)

III. The future of the Manatee is promising (This is a main idea)

A. Laws have been passed to save them (This is a subtopic) B. People who harm them are punished (This is a subtopic)

1. They may go to jail (This is a detail) 2. They usually pay a heavy fine (This is a detail)

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Annotated Bibliography

After you find the sources that you will be using for your research, it is important to read the material and find information in the text that will help you in proving your thesis. An important step before writing your research paper is to annotate your references. In this step, you are extracting the important information and then explaining how it will be used in your paper. See the following pages for the correct way to cite your source.

• Sample Annotated Bibliography [If this sample annotated bibliography has some context for you, assume that my research question is whether digital rights management software must be on eBooks or if you want to prevent piracy of those books and keep print sales healthy.] Pogue, David. “Should E-Books Be Copy-Protected?” New York Times, 17 Dec. 2009. Web. 7

May 2010.

In this newspaper article, technology columnist David Pogue discusses how he convinced the

publisher of his latest book to allow the PDF version of his book to be sold without any DRM

software. Although this decision meant that anyone who bought the PDF version of the book

could pass it along to others for free, it didn’t seem to affect sales of the print book, which

remained at the expected levels. Although the author is not known as an expert in book

publishing, he does have the experience of having published a number of books that came as

both print and eBooks; his anecdotal experience is relevant if not exactly the most authoritative

voice on the topic.

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Documenting Sources

The information in this guide is based on the Modern Language Association’s (MLA) Style Guide. When referring to another person’s work in the body of your paper, there are two formats to follow.

• In Context: This means to put the name of the source directly in the sentence.

Example: In his book, Our Changing Constitution,

Moran states that the history of the Supreme Court and the Constitution are closely tied (114).

• Parenthetical Citation: This means to specifically state the author’s name and page number of the source. This information is in parentheses at the end of a sentence.

Example: One of those major profit-making opportunities in the Renaissance was trading (Corrick 31).

• Quotations:

When using exact words from your source you must insert quotation marks to surround the quote. You must also use a parenthetical citation to document where you found the quoted information: For example:

Looking up the symptoms of her disease, Marge was very nervous. The book explained the illness as “starting with a cough and then progressing to the lungs” (Spock 23). She was relieved to discover that she did not have a cough and, therefore, would not need to see a doctor.

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For quotations longer than four lines you must indent the entire quote ten spaces from the margin. Use double spacing and do not insert quotation marks. For example:

At the conclusion of Lord of the Flies, Ralph and the other boys realize the horror of their actions: The tears began to flow and sobs shook him. He gave

himself up to them now for the first time on the island; great, shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to wrench his whole body. His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too (186).

Format of a Research Paper: General Guidelines

• Type your paper on a computer and print it out on standard, white 8.5 x 11-inch paper. • Double-space the text of your paper, and use a legible font (e.g. Times New Roman). Whatever

font you choose, MLA recommends that the regular and italics type styles contrast enough that they are recognizable one from another. The font size should be 12 pt.

• Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks (unless otherwise instructed by your instructor).

• Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides. • Indent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch from the left margin. MLA recommends that you

use the Tab key as opposed to pushing the Space Bar five times. • Create a header that numbers all pages consecutively in the upper right-hand corner, one-half

inch from the top and flush with the right margin. (Note: Your instructor may ask that you omit the number on your first page. Always follow your instructor's guidelines.)

• Use italics throughout your essay for the titles of longer works and, only when absolutely necessary, providing emphasis.

• If you have any endnotes, include them on a separate page before your Works Cited page. Entitle the section Notes (centered, unformatted).

Formatting the First Page of Your Paper • Do not make a title page for your paper unless specifically requested. • In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your instructor's name, the course,

and the date. Again, be sure to use double-spaced text. • Double space again and center the title. Do not underline, italicize, or place your title in

quotation marks; write the title in Title Case (standard capitalization), not in all capital letters.

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• Use quotation marks and/or italics when referring to other works in your title, just as you would in your text: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

• Double space between the title and the first line of the text.

as Morality Play; Human Weariness in "After Apple Picking"

• Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes your last name, followed by a space with a page number; number all pages consecutively with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. (Note: Your instructor or other readers may ask that you omit last name/page number header on your first page. Always follow instructor guidelines.)

Here is a sample of the first page of a paper in MLA style:

See next page.

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Image Caption:

The First Page of an MLA Paper

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Style Guide – Points about Style

This guide is based on Modern Language Association of America (MLA) rules, seventh edition, 2009.

Numbers

• Numbers from one to ten are written as words

• Numbers above ten are written as numerals

• When numbers appear at the beginning of a sentence, they are written as words.

• Use numerals for:

Weight (4lbs) Time: (4:50pm) Money: ($9.35)

• Decimals are written as numerals (3.14)

• Related numbers are written in the same style

Titles

When you cite the title of the published work in your paper, take the information from the title page.

• Italicize titles of whole works: Book: World Religions Magazine: Time Newspaper: The New York Times Electronic Source: World Book Encyclopedia

• Quotation marks around titles of works within a work: Journal article: “The Next Mission to Mars” Short story: “The Gift of the Magi” Song: “You Drive Me Crazy” Encyclopedia article: “Battle of Midway”

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Works Cited

This is an alphabetical listing of all the sources you used in preparing your paper. These include books, magazines, newspapers, encyclopedias, CD ROM’s Internet sites, personal interviews, etc. This used to be called a bibliography. There are many online websites that can assist you in this process. One such site is www.easybib.com.

The Works Cited page is the last section of your report. The format for this page is as follows:

• The words Works Cited should be centered at the top of the page.

• Each source is called a citation, or entry. Each entry must be double-spaced, with double spaces between entries.

• Start citation at left margin. If more than one line is needed, the second and all following lines are indented by five spaces.

• All sources you use must be listed here.

• The sources are arranged in alphabetical order by the first word of the entry. This is usually the author’s or editor’s last name. If no author is given, the title of the work is then the first word in the citation.

Citation Guide

Please take note of the punctuation used in each citation form.

Books

• Last name, First name. Title of the book. Place of publication: Publisher, Year.

One Author:

Medium of Publication.

Example:

Holmes, Barbara. Letters to Julia. New York: Harper Collins, 1997. Print.

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• Last name, First name, and First name, Last name. Title of the book. Place of

Two Authors:

publication: Publisher, Year. Print.

Example: Graedel, Thomas E., and Paul J. Crutzen. Atmosphere, Climate and Change.

New York: Scientific American Library, 1995. Print.

• Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Medium of Publication.

No Author:

Example:

New York Public Library. The New York Public Library Desk Reference. New

York: Macmillan.1998. Print.

• Last name, First name. Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, date. Medium of

An Editor:

Publication.

Example: Brunner, Borge, ed. The Time Almanac 1999. Boston: Information Please LLC,

1998. Print.

Encyclopedias

Most articles in encyclopedias have the author’s name at the end of the article. Some articles are not signed.

• Signed: Last name, First name. “Title of article.” Title of Encyclopedia. Date of edition

publication. Medium of Publication.

Example: Fagergren, Fred C. “Grand Teton National Park.” Encyclopedia Americana.

1992 ed. Print.

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• “Title of article.” Title of Encyclopedia. Date of edition publication. Medium of

Unsigned:

Publication.

Example: “Benedict Arnold.” Encyclopedia of World Biography. 1998 ed. Print.

Magazines

•

Author. “Title of article.” Title of magazine. Day Month Year: Page(s). Signed article:

Example: Powell, Colin. “The American GI.” Time. 14 June 1999: 70 – 73. Print.

• “Title of article.” Title of magazine. Day Month Year: Page(s). Print. Unsigned article:

Example: “Faster Isn’t Always Better.” Road and Track. 16 May 1999. Print.

Newspapers

• Author. “Title of article.” Title of newspaper Day Month Year: Section page. Signed article:

Medium of Publication.

Example: Lewis, Neil A. “Senate Committee is Split by Party on a Bush Nominee.” New

York Times 18 May 2001: A1. Print.

• “Title of article.” Title of Newspaper Day Month Year: Section page. Medium of Unsigned article:

Publication.

Example: “Columbine Panel Speaks Out.” Newsday 18 May 2001: A19. Print.

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Government Publications If you do not know the author of a publication, cite the government agency as the author. Use agency abbreviations where appropriate, such as FBI for Federal Bureau of Investigation, or IRS for Internal Revenue Service.

• Author. Title of Publication. Place of publication: Publisher, Date. Medium of Work with known author, editor, or compiler:

Publication.

Example:

Sambus, Lisa, comp. The Incorporated Village of Mineola Annual Report 2004.

Mineola, New York: The Incorporated Village of Mineola 2004. Print.

• Work with author unknown:

Agency name. Title of Publication. Place of publication: Publisher, Date. Medium

of Publication. Example: U.S. Department of State. Background Notes: Canada. Washington, D.C.: U.S.

Government Printing Office,1995. Print.

Interviews

There are three types of interviews that need to be cited.

•

Published or recorded interviews:

This type may be from a magazine, newspaper, or other printed source. If the interview does not have a title, use the term Interview in its place.

Name of person interviewed. “Title of interview.” Title of Publication Day Month

Year: Section page. Example:

Warenken, Bernd Jurgen. “Of Course I’m Sure.” People Weekly 6 Sept

1999: 135 – 136.

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• Name of person interviewed, Name of interviewer. Title of program. Network or

Interviews on TV or radio:

station. Place. Day Month Year.

Example: Bush, Laura. Interview with Larry King. Larry King Live. CNN. Atlanta 18 April

2001.

• Personal Interview:

When you directly interview someone, you must document that interview as follows: Interviewee. Personal Interview. 7 Dec. 2007. Example: Lewis, Jay. Personal interview with Marty Markowitz. 18 May 2001.

Videocassette, DVDs and Audios

There are two ways to cite video recordings and DVDs. The first format is used when citing the film as an entire work. The second is used when citing the contribution of a particular individual. In both cases, including the names of actors, writers, and other individuals involved is optional.

• Entire work: Title. Name of the distributor. Names of performers. Year of release. Medium of

Publication.

Example: Excel 2000: video tutorial. Learn2.com. 2000. DVD.

• Name of person, Type of contribution. Title of film. Name of distributor. Year of

Particular individual:

release. Medium of Publication.

Example: Williams, Robin. Actor. William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Castle Rock

Entertainment. 1997. VHS.

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Audio books on CD

Audio books are cited the same way a traditional book is.

• Last name, First name. Title of the book. Place of publication: Publisher, Year.

One Author:

Medium of Publication.

Example: Cooney, Caroline B. The Face on the Milk Carton. NY: Harper Collins, 2003. CD.

Electronic Sources

There are several types of electronic sources. Each of these must be cited as would any other source of information. There is a standard of organization for print material that is widely agreed upon. There is not yet that standard for electronic sources. In addition, Internet sources change constantly, so more information must be provided as documentation.

• Author’s name (if given). Title. Date of electronic publication or latest update.

Websites:

Name of sponsoring institution. Web. Date of access. <Electronic address optional>

Example: Higgins, Mary. Energy Trade Coalition to Bush: Get a Clue.

18 May 2001.

Environmental News Network. Web. 19 May 2001. <http://www.enn.com/enn-stories/1999 optional>

• Author of article (if given). “Name of article (if given).” Name of Database. Name

Online Databases:

of service. Name of library, City, State. Web. Date of access. <Electronic address optional >

Example: Mann, Thomas. “Georgia.” America the Beautiful. Grolier. Web. Date of Access.

<http://go.grolier.com optional>

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• Online Magazine: Author. “Title of article.” Title of periodical. Date of publication. Web. Date of

access.

<Electronic address optional>

Example: Confessore, Nicholas. “Heard It Through the Grapevine.” Atlantic Unbound. 7

October 1999. Web. 10 October 1999. <http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound optional >

Author. “Title of article Title of newspaper. Date of publication. Web. Date of Online Newspaper:

access.

<Electronic address optional >

Example: Noble, Marty. “D-Backs Strike”. Newsday.com. Web. 8 October 1999. http://www.newsday.com/sports

CD ROM:

Author. “Title of article” Title of CD ROM. Version. Place of Publication:

Publisher. Date of publication. Medium of Publication. Example: Liao, Thomas T. “Robot”. The World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia. Chicago:

The World Book, Inc. 1998. CD-ROM.

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• Name of the writer. “Title of the message taken from the Subject line”. Email to

Email:

name of recipient. Date of message. E-Mail.

Example: Cooper, Art. “Leon M. Goldstein High School for the Sciences”. Email to Dot

Bausch. 10 October 2005. E-Mail.

Miscellaneous Sources

•

Cartoons:

Name of cartoonist. “Title of cartoon.” Cartoon. Title of publication. Place of publication. Date. Medium of Publication. Example:

Trudeau, Gary. “Doonesbury.” Cartoon. Newsday. Melville. 9 October 2003.

Print.

•

Maps:

In general, maps are treated like a book without an author. Title of map. Map. Place of publication: Publisher. Date. Medium of Publication. Example: Nassau County Atlas. Map. New York: Hagstrom Map Company. 1997. Print.

•

Pamphlets:

Treat pamphlets as you would a book. Most pamphlets do not have authors. Title. Place of publication: Publisher, Year. Medium of Publication. Example: The Causes of Chemical Dependency. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc.,

1991. Print.

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STEP 6: EVALUATION

The next pages contain guides for evaluating the final product of your research. The first guide will help you organize your research and contains questions to focus your information gathering. The second guide is helpful in evaluating Internet sources to determine their quality. The last evaluation tool is a works cited rubric. Your teacher may use this guide to grade your Works Cited page. It would be helpful to use this as you create your Works Cited pages to check how well you did.

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Leon M. Goldstein High School for the Sciences

Research Organizer

Name_______________________________ Date____________

Class________________________________ Topic___________

1. Task Definition:

“What do I need to do?”

What is the essential question? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ What do I need to know? What are my supporting questions? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ Assignment Timeline Task Definition (Ideas for Project) Due Date__________ Information searching (Note taking) Due Date__________ Synthesis Outline Due Date__________ First Draft Due Date__________ Completed Assignment Due Date__________

2. Information Seeking Strategies

“What can I use to find what I need?”

Name possible sources that you can use to find information on your topic. Make sure to use the guidelines set forth in Leon M. Goldstein High School Research Guide for evaluating resources.

1.__________________________________________________________

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2.__________________________________________________________

3.__________________________________________________________

4.__________________________________________________________

5.__________________________________________________________

If using web sites, who will evaluate them for relevancy, accuracy, and authority?

Check one:

____ I will use only those evaluated by and provided by my teachers or librarian.

____ I will find websites on my own and evaluate them using the web site evaluation guide in the Leon M. Goldstein High School Research Guide.

* If you need help with this (or any) step of the process, please see your librarian.

3. Location and Access

“Where can I find what I need?”

Where will I locate the needed resources (Public library, school library, college/university library, provided by teacher, database, Internet)?

_______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

If using a search engine or database, what are some key words that will help you find information.

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

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4. Use of Information

“How will I collect information and what can I use?”

How will I take notes (note cards, word processing program, paper, graphic organizer, using tape recorder, video/digital camera)? ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

*Remember to record important bibliographic information for your Works Cited and use the correct format (see Leon M. Goldstein High School Research Guide).

5. Synthesis “

How will I put my information together?”

What will my final product look like? How will I organize and present my information? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

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Web Site Evaluation Guide

Name_____________________________ Date____________

Evaluation of Internet Information

Locate a valid source of information on your topic from the Internet. Evaluate each site for the following criteria.

Website Name______________________ URL___________ Evaluation:

a. Identify the kind of web page. ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

b. Who is the author or sponsor? What information is given about the author or sponsor? Is there contact information?

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

c. Why is the information available on the Internet? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

d. How recent is the information? When was the site last updated? Is currency important to the subject matter?

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

e. Is the information well written and grammatically correct, or does it contain misspellings and other obvious errors? Is the page’s general appearance professional?

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

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Works Cited Rubric Criteria

4 3 2 1 0 Score

1. Accuracy & Authority

All sources are accurate & authoritative

Most sources are accurate & authoritative

Some sources are accurate & authoritative -others are not

Most sources have inaccuracies & are written by under- qualified authors

No reliable sources used/cited.

_____x5_____ (20)

2. Advocacy

Most sources are objective & alternative viewpoints are

represented. thoroughly

Most sources are objective & alternative viewpoints are evident.

Some sources are objective & some alternative viewpoints are evident.

Most sources show strong Evidence of bias – insufficient coverage of alternative viewpoints.

No objective sources were used/cited.

_____x5_____ (20)

3. Currency & Coverage

All of the works cited are current with broad subject coverage. Includes more than the minimum required sources.

Most of the works cited are current with broad subject coverage. Must

Some sources are current with broad subject coverage.

have the minimum required sources.

Must

Very few current sources with broad subject coverage were used/cited.

have the minimum required sources.

Less

No current sources with broad subject coverage were used/cited, and/or less than the minimum # of sources

than the minimum # required sources.

_____x5_____ (20)

4. Variety of Media

A superior variety of media formats were used/cited. Includes more than the minimum required sources.

Many media formats were used/cited. Must

Some variety in media formats used/cited. Leans too heavily on 1 type of resource.

have the minimum required sources.

Must

Little variety in media formats used/cited. Heavy reliance on one type of resource.

have the minimum required sources.

Must

No variety of media used/cited, and/or does not include the minimum required sources have

the minimum required sources.

_____x5_____ (20)

5. MLA Format & Content

MLA format has been used accurately in all works cited. No content or punctuation errors.

MLA format has been used accurately in most works cited. Occasional punctuation errors. Any content errors are insignificant

MLA format has been used accurately in some of the works cited. Some punctuation & content errors.

MLA format has not been used accurately in most of the works cited. There are many punctuation errors & significant content errors.

No works cited page at all and/or no MLA format used.

_____x5_____ (20) Final Score __________

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How to Read a Secondary Source

Reading secondary historical sources is a skill which may be acquired and must be practiced. Reading academic material well is an active process that can be far removed from the kind of pleasure reading most of us are used to. Sure, history may sometimes be dry, but you'll find success reading even the most difficult material if you can master these skills. The key here is taking the time and energy to engage the material -- to think through it and to connect it to other material you have covered.

1. Read the title. Define every word in the title; look up any unknown words. Think about what the title promises for the book. Look at the table of contents. This is your "menu" for the book. What can you tell about its contents and structure from the TOC?

I: How to read a book

2. Read a book from the outside in. Read the foreword and introduction (if an article, read the first paragraph or two). Read the conclusion or epilogue if there is one (if an article, read the last one or two paragraphs). After all this, ask yourself what the author's thesis might be. How has the argument been structured?

3. Read chapters from the outside in. Quickly read the first and last paragraph of each chapter. After doing this and taking the step outlined above, you should have a good idea of the book's major themes and arguments.

4. You are now finally ready to read in earnest. Don't

5. Take notes: Many students attempt to take comprehensive notes on the content of a book or article. I advise against this. I suggest that you record your

read a history book as if you were reading a novel for light pleasure reading. Read through the chapters actively, taking cues as to which paragraphs are most important from their topic sentences. (Good topic sentences tell you what the paragraph is about.) Not every sentence and paragraph is as important as every other. It is up to you to judge, based on what you know so far about the book's themes and arguments. If you can, highlight passages that seem to be especially relevant.

thoughts about the reading rather than simply the details and contents of the reader. What surprised you? What seemed particularly insightful? What seems suspect? What reinforces or counters points made in other readings? This kind of note taking will keep your reading active, and actually will help you remember the contents of the piece better than otherwise.

II. "STAMP" it: A technique for reading a book which complements the steps above is to answer a series of questions about your reading.

Structure: How has the author structured her work? How would you briefly outline it? Why might she have employed this structure? What historical argument does the structure employ? After identifying the thesis, ask yourself in what ways the structure of the work enhances or detracts from the thesis. How does the author set about to make her or his case? What about the structure of the work makes it convincing?

Thesis: A thesis is the controlling argument of a work of history. Tocqueville argued, for instance, that American society in the first half of the nineteenth century believed itself to be radically oriented towards liberty and freedom while in fact its innate conservatism hid under a homogeneous culture and ideology. Often, the most difficult task when reading a secondary is to identify the author's thesis. In a well-written essay, the thesis is usually clearly stated near the

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beginning of the piece. In a long article or book, the thesis is usually diffuse. There may in fact be more than one. As you read, constantly ask yourself, "how could I sum up what this author is saying in one or two sentences?" This is a difficult task; even if you never feel you have succeeded, simply constantly trying to answer this question will advance your understanding of the work.

Argument: A thesis is not just a statement of opinion, or a belief, or a thought. It is an argument. Because it is an argument, it is subject to evaluation and analysis. Is it a good argument? How is the big argument (the thesis) structured into little arguments? Are these little arguments constructed well? Is the reasoning valid? Does the evidence support the conclusions? Has the author used invalid or incorrect logic? Is she relying on incorrect premises? What broad, unexamined assumptions seem to underlay the author's argument? Are these correct? Note here that none of these questions ask if you like the argument or its conclusion. This part of the evaluation process asks you not for your opinion, but to evaluate the logic of the argument. There are two kinds of logic you must consider: Internal logic is the way authors make their cases, given the initial assumptions, concerns, and definitions set forth in the essay or book. In other words, assuming that their concern is a sound one, does the argument make sense? Holistic logic regards the piece as a whole. Are the initial assumptions correct? Is the author asking the proper questions? Has the author framed the problem correctly?

Motives: Why might the author have written this work? This is a difficult question, and often requires outside information, such as information on how other historians were writing about the topic. Don't let the absence of that information keep you from using your historical imagination. Even if you don't have the information you wish you had, you can still ask yourself, "Why would the author argue this?" Many times, arguments in older works of history seem ludicrous or silly to us today. When we learn more about the context in which those arguments were made, however, they start to make more sense. Things like political events and movements, an author's ideological bents or biases, or an author's relationship to existing political and cultural institutions often have an impact on the way history is written. On the other hand, the struggle to achieve complete objectivity also effects the way people have written history. It is only appropriate, then, that such considerations should inform your reading.

Primaries: Students of history often do not read footnotes. Granted, footnotes are not exactly entertaining, but they are the nuts and bolts of history writing. Glance occasionally at footnotes, especially when you come across a particularly interesting or controversial passage. What primary sources has the historian used to support her argument? Has she used them well? What pitfalls may befall the historians who use these sources? How does her use of these kinds of sources influence the kinds of arguments she can make? What other sources might she have employed? III. Three important questions to ask of secondary sources What does the author say? That is, what is the author's central claim or thesis, and the argument which backs it up? The thesis of a history paper usually explains how or why something happened. This means that the author will have to (1) tell what happened (the who, where, when, what of the subject); (2) explain how or why it happened. Why does the author say it? Historians are almost always engaged in larger, sometimes obscure dialogues with other professionals. Is the author arguing with a rival interpretation? What would that be? What accepted wisdom is the author trying to challenge or complicate? What deeper agenda might be represented by this effort? (An effort to overthrow capitalism? To justify Euro-Americans' decimation of Native American populations? To buttress claims that the government should pursue particular policies?)

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Where is the author's argument weak or vulnerable?

Good historians try to make a case that their conclusion or interpretation is correct. But cases are rarely airtight - especially novel, challenging, or sweeping ones. At what points is the author vulnerable? Where is the evidence thin? What other interpretations of the author's evidence is possible? At what points is the author's logic suspect? If the author's case is weak, what is the significance of this for the argument as a whole?

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WORKS CITED

Mineola Middle & High School Research Guide. Garden City Park: Mineola High School 2005. Print. Purdue OWL Family of Sites, The. The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue U, 2008.

Web. 6 May 2011. < http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01 >.