the research process topic subtopics sources read/think/select notetake sort & number notes...
TRANSCRIPT
The Research Process
Topic
Subtopics
Sources
Read/Think/Select
Notetake
Sort & Number Notes
Putting the pieces together.
Copyright 2008 Deborah B. Stanley
All rights reserved
This PowerPoint is intended for educational and/or instructional purposes in a school library setting or for use by an instructor for single-event staff development. It is not
permissible to reproduce this material for commercial gain. This material may be adapted by teacher librarians for site-specific research teaching with minimal deviation
from the original model and with proper credit to the source.
Made and distributed byDeborah B. Stanley
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Let’s focus on:
SelectingSubtopics
Subtopics
Concepts to Consider
“What do I want to know about my topic?”
Where do they come from?
Why are subtopics so important?
How do I know if a subtopic is “good”?
Subtopics focus research by answering the question:
How many should I use?
Subtopics
Subtopics focus your research:
“WHAT do I want to know about
(my topic)?”
Subtopics
“HOW do I create a plan to explore (my topic)?”
Why are subtopicsso important?
“You have absolutely
Because if you don’t have subtopics,
idea what you are doing!” Subtopics
Subtopicsbecome the plan
for research!
Like an architect’s blueprints,
Or a doctor’s x-ray,
Subtopics
Topic
• Subtopic
• Subtopic
• Subtopic
How do I know if asubtopic is “good”?
Subtopics
Where do subtopicscome from?
General subtopics
Specific subtopics
can be brainstormed.
must be pre-searched.
Subtopics
subtopics
subtopicssubtopics
subtopics
subtopics
subtopics
General subtopics examples:
Person: Early life, Education, Accomplishments, Later life
Place: Origin, History, Leaders, Economy, Culture, etc.
Thing: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How
Subtopics
This simple storyexplains general
subtopics: A little boy walks into the school library and asks the teacher-librarian for help because he’s writing a report about dinosaurs. Seeing the difficulty of too much information, the teacher-librarian asks, “Perhaps you want to know about its body--what it looked like?” “Yes, I do!,” said the little boy. “Maybe you want to know what it ate,” she says. “Yes, my teacher said I need to include that.” “Do you want to know where it lived?” As you can see, the library teacher was guiding him to choose subtopics in order to filter information.
Subtopics
Specific subtopics examples:
Paris:
Photovoltaic cell:
George Washington: Early life, Surveyor, Soldier, General, President
Gallo-Roman, Medieval, Renaissance, Enlightenment
Inventor, Uses, Improvements
“I need to search for specific ways to tackle this topic.”
Subtopics
Look for specific subtopics in:
Book’s table of contents
Encyclopedia’s bold subheads
Textbook’s units and chapter titles
Internet web site’s index or subsections
Just like topics, “pre-search” to research!
subtopics
subtopics
subtopics
subtopics
subtopics
subtopics
Subtopics
How many subtopicsshould I use?
How do I start?
How can I adjust?
Budget your time according to when your project is due.
You or your teacher can judge your ability to access, evaluate, and use information,
Fewer days of research = fewer subtopics
“So in a week, can I do ten subtopics?”
and your motivation to complete tasks!
Subtopics
Remember,subtopics are the guideposts
on the road toto information management.
subtopic
subtopic
subtopic
subtopic