2. Pick a topic. 1 Is your topic just a sprout of an idea? Or maybe you need to narrow it down. Consider these tips
3. download Make sure you meet the requirements of the assignment. Be careful to choose a topic that is not too narrow. Be careful to choose a topic that is not too broad. Find a topic that interests you. (Metcalf, 2010) These Websites might help you get started. www.worldbookonline.com/kids/home www.factmonster.com
4. Get organized. 2 You need the tools of organization right from the beginning of your project. Bibliography: Keep a list of all the resources you look at, even if you don’t use them in the end. Type them into a Word document or start a list on www.easybib.com or www.bibme.org. Notes: Write down all of your own ideas and thoughts AND important quotes from your sources as you begin researching. Use a notebook and pencil, create a Word document, or try one of these tools… Look at these examples
5. Research Paper Organizer from TIME for Kids online. NoteCard from 4teachers.org You have to sign up, but its free! http://notestar.4teachers.org/ http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/media/hh/pdfs/ideaorganizers/research_ideaorg.pdf
13. magazinesSearch the Web www.cybrary.org www.kidsclick.org www.kidsknowit.com Have you thought about interviewing an expert?
14. Verify resources. 5 Whether your sources are online or in print, ask yourself these questions to check for quality and integrity. Who is the author? Does he know what he’s talking about? What did you find and what does it mean? Is it true? Does it make you feel uncomfortable in any way? When was it written? Should you find a more current source? Where is the author or publisher from? Does that matter? Why was it written: to persuade, educate or entertain? Adapted from Redefining Literacy by David Warlick, 2009.
15. Harvest & arrange. 6 You’ve done it! Now it’s time to harvest all those ideas and start arranging them into a finished product! SENTENCES IDEAS PARAGRAPHS THOUGHTS SOURCES
16. One last bit of advice... This one is the original. This one is a copy. As you put the pieces of your research together, be careful not to copy someone else’s ideas. Plagiarizing is stealing. Use citations and your bibliography to give credit where credit is due!
17. Let’s review. 1. Pick a topic. 2. Get organized. 3. Ready, set, search. 4. Dig deeper. 5. Verify resources. 6. Harvest and arrange. Now go and grow!
18. Presentation created by Andrea Brainard July 26, 2011 Information Retrieval and Transfer Class Pittsburg State University
