The Research Process
One way to look at research instruction is that students learn lifelong skills to accomplish an immediate task.
Are you a student required to do research?
This website and new Hyperdoc are for you.
Are you a classroom teacher requiring your students to do research?
This website is for you.
Are you a teacher librarian who needs to collaborate with school site teachers to teach research?
This website is for you.
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Book: Practical Steps to Digital Research, ABC-CLIO/Libraries Unlimited
Research and Common Core State Standards in a Digital Environment
With the coming of Common Core State Standards (CCSS video) in combination with AASL Model School Library Standards (CA MSLS table) in a digital world of emerging literacies, students are being asked to discover information for themselves through research with the world of information at their fingertips. In the new paradigm, research moves beyond report writing to inquiry-based, multi-dimensional learning. How can we integrate basic research skills into a digital world? Is there a difference between print research skills and digital skills? Can either set of these skills be intuitively acquired or must they be taught? Sometimes as "guides on the side" and sometimes as knowledgeable instructors, classroom teachers and teacher librarians can address these key issues while pointing the way to fascinating discoveries through research.
This Web site suggests the school library is the best place to begin the research process. Research comes from the root word "search." But searching the library and the Internet can be an overwhelming and confusing scavenger hunt, leading students into the alluring abyss of plagiarism. Use this Web site as a guide to simplify the complex task of fulfilling research requirements while guaranteeing genuine student work. If print resources are not readily available, as required for thorough research, consider a WebQuest using QuestGarden.
Focus of this Website
Basic library research skills are the starting point upon which to build effective digital research capabilities. The purpose of this Web site is to provide a seamless transition from print to digital research using a six-step process. Research becomes much more manageable---and successful---when it is broken down into parts. View this YouTube for an overview of this Web site and its six steps.
Are you prepared for 21st century research?
"In the age of the Internet and YouTube, libraries are changing the way they do business."
Stephen Wall, Press-Enterprise Riverside
Disclaimer: Did you know "digital research" isn't a real term at this point in time? For the purposes of this Web site, it's a term that is used to describe research performed on any type of Internet-accessible device. To clarify, student digital research involves the enormous world of Web-based data access, evaluation, and use. But is it more than that? Are we talking about eResearch? Or are we talking about some of the components of eResearch, which set the tone for student digital research. Namely, it's important that digital research goes beyond access, evaluation, and use into the capabilities of integrating and sharing information. This sets the stage for the goal of this Web site to identify, articulate, and provide instruction to students in both library (print) and digital (Web) research tasks and skills.
Basic library research skills are the starting point upon which to build effective research capabilities. Moving from library print-based research to digital device-based research takes on many levels of complexity and requires a student's understanding of:
1. DIGITAL LITERACY: Digital literacy is the knowledge needed to function in a digital world.
University of Illinois: "Digital Literacy Definition and Resources"
The "multi-literacies" that fall under the umbrella of digital literacy include media literacy, technology literacy, information literacy, visual literacy, communication literacy, and social literacy. (MediaSmarts)
⭐Connection with Digital Citizenship: "Digital Literacy" YouTube video.
2. DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP: Digital citizenship is the appropriate behaviors needed to function in a digital world.
Tech Time: Digital Citizenship Curriculum developed by Deborah Stanley. FREE to use!
⭐Connection with Digital Citizenship: "Digital Citizenship" (briefly), YouTube video.
3. DIGITAL SKILLS: Digital skills are the specific skills needed to accomplish a specific digital task.
Individual apps and web tools each have unique tools to learn to use effectively.
Institute of Museum and Library Skills: 21st Century Skills
⭐Connection with Digital Citizenship: "What Digital Skills Do Kids Need for the Future?" YouTube video.
Choices promote good research
Remember, for research to be truly successful, choices in each of the six steps promote interest and engagement.
Research Overview
What is research
Research is like cooking
Grade school vs college or academic research
Other resources for research
PowerPoint training
Mrs. Stanley's research overview PowerPoint, grades 3-7
Mrs. Stanley's research overview PowerPoint, grades 8-12
Articles
"What Will Become of the Library? How will it evolve as the world goes digital?"
Links to excellent research process resources:
Deb Stanley's The Research Process.
Joyce Valenza's Research/Inquiry Process Livebinder of research resources at Springfield Township High School Library website.
A Research Guide for Students and How to Write a Research Paper
LibGuides.MIT: Library Research, etc.
CommonLit: Click "Browse the Library." Free literacy resources for grades 5-12
CRLS Research Guide Tip Sheets
Bakersfield College: Library "Survival Skills"
Institute of Museum and Library Services: 21st Century Skills
Research resourcesfrom USC Libraries, click Print Guide for easy access
Types of research Slideshare slides
Cornell University Library's "Introduction to Research"
Cornell University Digital Library's "A Guide to Online Research"
Research guides based on children's literature.
Apps, Web sites, add-ons, or extensions
Student handouts
Additional research handouts are located on appropriate research "step" Web pages.
A typical student packet could include:
Research Process overview.
Checklist: plan for research that can be adapted to grade levels.
Checklist/Guide for independent learners or advanced researchers
Cornell note sheet, as a general example selected from many types of notes
Universal citation, MLA 8, that is adaptable for all print and digital sources
Works Cited guideline, and annotated example.
Teacher unit plan form.
Bookmark for The Research Process. Just copy and distribute!
Sample collaborative print rubric. Sample online rubric: Rubistar
Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
CCSS.ELA.W.8.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration. (p.59)
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.7 Conduct short, as well as more sustained, research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
ESS03.04 Conduct technical research to gather information necessary for decision making: Analyze information and data for value to the research objectives.
Videos
With special thanks to Karen Morgenstern, CSLA unofficial documentarian, here are a couple of videos of this website creator's research process presentations. While these clips are from a single CUE/CSLA Summit in Palm Springs, they represent sessions about teaching research since 1998.
Perfect Storm, Digital Access, Research and Students (Vimeo password: research)
Progression of Research Skills (Vimeo password: research)
Learn how to create a Hyperdoc: "Go Paperless with Hyperdocs" and directions.
Works Cited
Agresta, Michael. "Will Libraries Exist in the Future? If So, They’ll Be Very Different." Slate Magazine. The Slate Group, LLC., 2014. Web. 03 Oct. 2016.
Beck. "What Is Research?" YouTube. YouTube, 20 Oct. 2013. Web. 15 Mar. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt6XXDF7xaQ>.
Bourg, Chris. "Research Is Like Cooking." YouTube. YouTube, 14 Oct. 2011. Web. 15 Mar. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9fkSzdLf7M>.
Earnshaw, John. "What Is Research?" YouTube. YouTube, 31 Oct. 2011. Web. 15 Mar. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJhpQs82uR8>.
EdTech Team. "The 8 Digital Skills Students Need for The Future." Educational Technology and Mobile Learning. N.p., 2010. Web. 03 Oct. 2016.
Fourthperiodfilm. "Digital Literacy." YouTube. YouTube, 2010. Web. 03 Oct. 2016.
Leach-Plunkett, Cindy. "What Is Digital Literacy?" Digital Literacy. ELEC540, 2010. Web. 03 Oct. 2016.
Loder, Amy. "Digital Citizenship." YouTube. YouTube, 2013. Web. 03 Oct. 2016.
"Model School Library Standards." School Library Standards. California Department of Education, Sept. 2010. Web. 31 Jan. 2017. <http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/lb/schlibrarystds.asp>.
"Museums, Libraries, and 21st Century Skills: Definitions." Institute of Museum and Library Services, 2015. Web. 03 Oct. 2016.
Nesbitt, Barbara. "A Vision of K-12 Students Today." YouTube. YouTube, 28 Nov. 2007. Web. 15 Mar. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8>.
Ribble, Mike. "Nine Elements." Digital Citizenship, Using Technology Appropriately. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2016.
Stater, Robert. "Digital Literacy Definition and Resources." Digital Literacy Definition and Resources. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 15 Oct. 2008. Web. 03 Oct. 2016.
Tvoparents. "What Digital Skills Do Kids Need For The Future?" YouTube. YouTube, 2013. Web. 03 Oct. 2016.
Created by Deborah B. Stanley. Copyright 2017, with credit to the YouTube creators and Web article authors included. Contact: debstanley550@mac.com.