Step 4
DUE by the Start of Class (Week 3):
1. Read Instructions on Step 4 Page
2. Complete 50 Notecards from (using at least 10 sources)...WE WILL BE USING THESE IN CLASS!
DUE by the Start of Next Class (Week 4):
1. Read Instructions on Step 5 Page
2. Complete Slideshow Outline of Research and Prepare to Present
Step 4: Use of Information
Step-at-a-glance
- Read - There is just no way around this.
- Make note cards and stay organized so you can use the information when you write
- Cite your sources along the way...you do not want to have to go back and do this later!!
Read what you need:
When you’ve done a good job getting sources, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the mountain of research staring you in the face. A few simple ideas will help you start this process.
1. Read from the most general source to the most specific. For example if you have an encyclopedia article and an article from an academic journal, read the one from the encyclopedia first. Get to know the basics of your topic first then jump into the sources that are more advanced. This will make reading those better sources much easier.
2. You don’t need to read everything. Yes, the Internet is shiny and wonderful, but if you have a book related to your topic it is usually a better choice. Now you might be scared off from this because you’re thinking, “Great, now I have to read a couple of books and do this project.” This is not necessarily the case. You should use a couple of things to help you find what sections of the book you should read.
a. The Table of Contents is your friend – The Table of Contents, located in the front of the book, gives an outline of what the book will cover. Check here to see if there is a chapter or section that deals with your topic. If there is, turn to this section, and get started.
b. The index is your BFF – The index, located at the back of a book, will serve as a search engine for your book. Go here to look for keywords that have to do with your topic. Find out where in the book these are discussed, and read around (a few before and a few after) those pages. You should turn to the index if the Table of Contents fails you. Remember, the organization of the material might not be transparent, so you should turn here even after reading the sections you found in the Table of Contents.
c. Use chapter titles, section headings and bold faced words. They’re there for a reason. Don’t ignore them and get confused about what you’re reading. It is a good idea to read these BEFORE you read the section. This way, you get a heads up about what to expect from this reading.
What to do when you’re reading:
Reading is an active not a passive process; reading for a research project even more so. Ask yourself just one question . . . will you really remember all of this exactly as you read it, with 100% of every sources memorized even down to the page number, the book, the author, and the date published? I didn’t think so. This is why you MUST make note cards.
You are to fully complete a note card sheet for all of your sources (5 cards). If you can't find enough information from a source to fill out one sheet, then you probably need to find a different source.
While you fill out your note cards, there are two different types of notes you can take:
1. Summarize – putting a large chunk of what you read into your own words in usually about 1 to 4 sentences. While this can be difficult, it’s not impossible if you truly understand what you read. If you can’t do this, then you probably can’t use the information in your research project. Unless these are commonly known facts, you should cite this.
2. Quote – taking a very specific section from the text (usually 1 to 4 sentences) and copying it down. You must cite this.
When you are making notecards make sure you cite your source and provide a reason. Citing your source on the card will make your in-text citations that much easier to complete. Providing a reason will help with your organization.