Research Tips & resources
check out materials
research
citations
Search for library books and access the ebooks that your library owns. Use your school username and password to access your personal Destiny Discover account and books.
Install the Destiny Discover app (for Apple and Android) to access your library account and ebooks on your device.
Databases packed with reputable resources on any topic. To access the databases at home, contact Ms. Webb or Ms. Long for the username and password.
Make sure to register for an account. See Ms. Webb for log in info.
Use NoodleTools to create accurate citations. NoodleTools helps every step of the way if you have questions about citing your source. Once you have completed all of your source citations, you can easily export them into Google Docs. The Works Cited page will be formatted for you.
helpful research tips
CRAAP Test
The CRAAP Test (developed by Meriam Library at California State University, Chico) is a helpful resource evaluation tool when conducting research outside of the Media Center or Discus.
The Information Cycle
Understanding how information is created and developed can assist with finding the right resources for your research. This video from Portland State University briefly explains the process.
Fake News
Quick video: How False News Can Spread
Fact Check Websites: AP Fact Check, FactCheck.org, PolitiFact, Snopes
Check for media bias
Avoiding Plagiarism
The Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab is a great resource to understand the differences between quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing as well as other tips for avoiding plagiarism.
Don't forget to cite your sources!
Media Bias Chart by Ad Fontes Media
keyword Search Tips
Online Search Engine (such as Google)
Skip question words such as Why, Who, How, etc. Google ignores them anyway. See a list of words ignored here.
Word Order matters
Google ranks the first word slightly higher than the second, the second slightly more than the third, etc. Example: music math (results are slightly different from the search math music)
use quotes to keep terms together “undocumented worker” or “William Taft”
Get better results by adding site:edu or site:org after your search terms
Brainstorm as many different search terms as possible, while you are exploring online, jot down alternative search terms…. For example, human trafficking, forced labor, undocumented workers, etc.
Citation overview
Citation Styles
There are various types of citation styles that can be used to properly cite your research. The citation style your teacher asks you to use is usually based on the subject they teach. The most common styles you will use in high school are MLA (for the humanities such as English, History, etc) and APA (for science, business, psychology, etc.)
Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab is an excellence resource to get more information about research and citation styles as well as a resource to double-check your citations.
*Some teachers will add their own requirements to these citation styles so make sure you read or listen for special instructions that you should follow.
Citation Generators
Riverside High School has access to NoodleTools to assist students with creating their citations. Make sure to register for an account - see Ms. Webb for log in info. Once you have completed all of your source citations, you can easily export them into Google Docs. The Works Cited page will be formatted for you.
*Please note that citation generators are dependent upon students entering information into the correct places and are not always 100% accurate.
Check for the following frequently made errors:
Incorrect information or omitting information
Misplaced or incorrect punctuation
Formatting (capitalization, font, italics, spacing, indentation, etc.)