Research

Before Researching

Note taking

Use this graphic organizer that I created to sort your research notes and sources.

Watch the video to the left for tips on how to take notes while researching.

Keeping Track of Sources

As you gather information during research, it is extremely important to keep track of where you find your information. You are expected to use information from other sources when you do research, but if you take information from a source without indicating where it came from, this is plagiarism. You must share where you got the information from and give credit to the author.

The following video will help you start thinking about this process.

Search Strategies

Now that you have your note taker ready, begin researching. When you choose a resource, use some of these search strategies to help find information pertaining to your topic.

Do not use just use one word in your search. Your search results will most likely be too lengthy and not specific enough.
Try searching using an additional descriptor with your search term. If the search results are too lengthy or you are not finding the information needed for your research question, try more suggestions below.
Use words that are in the same word family or are synonyms (same/similar).

Examples

survive, survives, survival, live, alive

adapt, adaption, adaptation, feature

You can limit your results by choosing advanced search options such as reading level, material, and genre.

cite your sources

It is important to indicate where you received your research information. Citing your sources is a must!

Citation Maker is a handy tool that transforms a source into proper citation standards. You will need to know what type of source you are citing, such as magazine, book, or website. After selecting the type of source, there are step by step instructions to help you enter information.

After writing or typing all your sources on a separate page from your writing, place it as the last page in your project writing.

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