Steps of Good Research
Before you begin your research, study the site below. It has a lot of good information about the research process.
Choose your topic
Read descriptions of different topics. Which one interests you? If you cannot make up your mind, look at few sources and read about the topic. Then, choose the one that interests you.
Prepare for research
Write down some questions that interest you about the topic. Then, list sources for your answers. Here are some ideas:
- Internet Research
- Books and magazines in a local library
- Interviews with people who know about this subject
- Interviews with people who lived through this time
- Visiting museums...
Internet Research
There is a lot of information on the Internet. Sometimes it is difficult to find true information and a good web site. Internet is like a busy highway with many dangers and tons of information, some good and some bad. Make sure that an adult is ALWAYS supervising your research.
Taking Notes
my_research_notes.docx | |
File Size: | 45 kb |
File Type: | docx |
When you research , you should always take notes. you can do that with paper/pencil or your can type your notes. Below are some examples of notes and a note-taking template. It is in word, so you can also do it on computer. You can also use index cards for your research. Your notes should tell you
- where did you find your information
- who was the author of the information
- summary of information
- important quotes
- pages where important information is found
- if you found media (such as picture o
Select a type of presentation
Think about the best way to present your information. For example
- if you have a lots of pictures- exhibits, web sites, documentaries
- if you have a lot of movies and audio- documentary or a website
- if you have a lots of information, but not a lot of pictures- research paper
- if you have a lot of personal stories to retell- performance
- if you have artifacts - exhibit
- exhibit - a poster or tri-fold poster of your project; usually has a lot of pictures and artifacts
- documentary - 5-10 minutes movie of your topic; you can use still pictures or video; you tell as story by recording a sound or a video of yourself
- research paper- typed paper about your topic; has more words than pictures
- performance - you act out an event that best represent your topic; write out the script and perform ( you can do it alone, or with a team)
- web site- create a web site about your topic; if you need website site, contact Mrs. Lockard
Create an outline
An outline is a blueprint for your presentation. Basically, you write down main ideas and support for those ideas. Outlines help you organize your thoughts.
Make citations
It is important to give credit to people who wrote your sources. Include a bibliography with MLA citations of all of your sources. Below are links to a web site that will create citations for you.