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Finding Sources
Finding Sources
Now that you have a research question, you need sources to help you investigate. Ultimately, a variety of types of sources (primary vs secondary, print vs digital) and perspectives will help you best understand your topic.
To find sources, start with our library resources- including library guides (see right), the library catalog, and of course, our amazing librarians themselves! Be sure to meet with them several times throughout your research for help identifying sources and making sure you're making the most of what our PC library system has to offer.
Image courtesy of https://www.twinkl.es/resource/primary-and-secondary-sources-a4-display-poster-cfe2-t-210
Navigate within the widget above to access the library guide for your grade's project.
A link to the library website is below:
Researching a current event? Consider setting up a Proquest alert with the link below.
Evaluating Sources
Evaluating Sources
Every source has a perspective - this is not a bad thing! Part of your job as a researcher is to understand and evaluate the perspective of your sources- i.e. what is the author's point of view? Why is this significant to the larger picture of your topic? When conducting history research, you should not take your sources at face value but also investigate the sources themselves using techniques like lateral reading (see the video under Teaching Resources).
Evaluating and analyzing sources will be a thread throughout your project- from creating your annotated bibliography to your discussion in your final paper or presentation. These are advanced skills in historical thinking that you will continue to develop throughout your time at Penn Charter and beyond.
Crafting an Annotated Bibliography
Crafting an Annotated Bibliography
What is an annotated bibliography?
What is an annotated bibliography?
A bibliography is a specially formatted list of sources you are using in your research.
According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, to annotate means to "to make or furnish critical or explanatory notes or comment."1
An annotated bibliography is just that- a bibliography with a few sentences of explanation after each source. Annotated bibliographies are part of how historians communicate their research to others. Creating an annotated bibliography also helps you understand a variety of perspectives and sources on your topic.
Your annotations should include:
1. a summary of the kind of information covered / analysis of the source’s usefulness to you and
2. information on the source's reliability and perspective.
For your history classes at Penn Charter, annotated bibliographies should be in Chicago Style. If you work within and export from your Noodletools project, Noodletools will take care of all of the formatting for you.
Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, s.v. “annotate,” accessed August 2, 2023, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/annotate.
The inside cover of a book or a Google search can turn up helpful information to evaluate your source.
Consider the following as you evaluate reliability and perspective:
Consider the following as you evaluate reliability and perspective:
Authority of author (leading scholar in the field, publisher of multiple books on this topic, professor of history, etc.)
Authority of publisher (a university press, a peer-reviewed journal, etc.)
Does the source indicate where its information came from?
Is the information current/up-to-date?
Is the information presented with a clear point of view If so, what is it?
Is information in-line with what you are finding elsewhere, or does it contrast significantly? If so, dig deeper.
To find out this information, you will need to do some additional investigation/lateral reading. Again, here you are investigating the sources themselves.
How to Create Annotations in Noodletools
How to Create Annotations in Noodletools
Open up the source you want to edit in the "sources" tab.
Scroll to the bottom to the textbox labelled "annotation."
Type your annotation into the box- be sure to check for spelling and mechanics (there is no built-in spell-check feature in Noodletools).
When you are ready to share your bibliography with your teacher, use the export button (shown in image on the lower right) to create a Google Doc or other file format. Again, be sure to check for spelling and mechanical errors.
Above is a screenshot of where you will enter your annotations.
Use the "export" button to access your annotated bibliography in the form of a Google Doc.
Teaching Resources
Teaching Resources
2. Bowdoin Primary Sources Guide
3. SHEG Civic Online Reasoning Curriculum and Crash Course "Navigating Digital Information" Series
This is great for teaching skills for evaluating information online- the curriculum has many different lessons and I've included a selection of videos from the Crash Course "Navigating Digital Information" series.
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