Research


 * Research Skills for Grades 7-12 **

**This is a chapter to help students prepare for a research based assignment. It is not geared toward a specific assignment because I work with students on a daily basis with a variety of projects that they have been assigned. I am attempting to create a site that students/staff can refer to when creating and completing assignments.**
 * So, you’ve been assigned a research project. There’s a lot to know! This chapter will touch on the topics that are necessary to put together a cohesive project for research.**

The following is a list of the standards addressed by this chapter.

**Part 1: Connecticut Standards Addressed by this Chapter**

1. Definitions and Identification of Information Needs: Students will define their information needs and identify effective courses of action to conduct research and solve problems.

2. Information Strategies: Students will understand and demonstrate a command of information skills and strategies to locate and effectively use print, non-print resources to solve problems and conduct research. 3. Information Processing: Students will apply information from a variety of sources and formats using evaluative criteria to interpret, analyze, organize and synthesize both print and non-print material. 4. Application: Use appropriate information and technology to create written, visual, oral and multimedia products to communicate ideas, information or conclusions to others. 5.Technology: Students will operate and use computers and other technologies as tools for productivity, problem-solving and learning across the content areas. 6. Responsible Use: Students will demonstrate the responsible, legal and ethical use of information resources, computers and other technologies. 7. Students will assess the effectiveness of their information and technology choices for problem-solving and communication.

**Part 2: The Research Assignment**

Before you even start your assignment, it’s important to clarify what you’re being asked to do. You should be able to answer the following questions before you begin: ** 1. //What is the assignment?// ** Or maybe it’s a combination of a couple of these assignments. It’s important to know where you’re going with your research before you start this trip! Answering these questions can help you get focused on what you need to do in order to plan your strategy for completing your research assignment. Most of this information can be found in the handout your teacher gave you or on your teacher’s website.
 * Written research paper
 * Powerpoint
 * Annotated Bibliography
 * Persuasive Essay
 * Video
 * Wiki
 * Presentation
 * Group project
 * //2. What do you need to research?// **
 * Do you need to pick a topic from a list?
 * Are you responding to an essential question?
 * Can you pick your own topic?
 * //3. What are the assignment requirements?// **
 * What kind of writing will you have to produce?
 * How long will it need to be?
 * Is there a multimedia component required?
 * How is the assignment being graded? (What does the rubric cover?)
 * __ When is it due? __  **This will be an important date to mark on your calendar!**

**Part 3: Focusing Your Research**

**THE THESIS STATEMENT** Once you know what you are going to write about, you need to focus specifically on a perspective in order to determine what you are going to research. What do you want the reader to learn when they read your research assignment? A thesis is a sentence that focuses your writing and lets the reader know what point you are attempting to prove. This sentence should appear in your first paragraph of your writing. Your thesis may change as you do more research.
 * Examples of Thesis Statements **
 * ** Experiencing community service positively impacts students at every grade level. **
 * ** The school should budget for a pool because of the positive implications for student wellness, community programming and possible economic benefit **

Look at the following links to help formulate your thesis. More good examples of a thesis statements are [|here!] [|Thesis Statement Editing Sheet] - Use this fill-in sheet to help formulate your thesis OR [|Thesis Builder] - Type in your information and the Thesis Builder does the work for you! To make the document larger, click on the upper right hand side- it will take a minute to maximize. media type="custom" key="3513404"

**Part 4: Determine Resources Needed**

You understand the assignment, you’ve chosen a topic and you have a thesis. Now you can start your research. Before you jump online, you need to ask yourself some questions about your topic. - Make a list of questions that you need to answer. Watch this short video from Common Crafts as seen on You Tube. media type="youtube" key="CWHPf00Jkqg" height="315" width="500"
 * What do you need to know?
 * What do you already know about your topic?
 * What do you still need to know?

You are likely to find a lot of information that seems to be about your topic. You need to be concerned with:
 * the quality of information you are finding and
 * the relevance of the information that you are finding.
 * Does the information relate to your thesis and your project?
 * What key words will you use in your research? Make a list of the key words and phrases (no sentences) that will help you find information on the web.
 * What web evaluation tool will you use to determine the authority and reliability of the free web sites that you find?

[|Example of web evaluation worksheet from the Berkeley Library]

You need to discriminate between important information from information that is not useful to you. If you are not sure about a site, or your information, you can always run it by your teacher to check to see if you have an information match. ** Resources Available ** Where are you going to find information for your assignment? Your information must be relevant to your topic and from a reliable source. Create a list of sources available to you. Here are a few ideas to get you started!


 * //**Databases**// – What subscription databases are available through school? Which would be helpful to you?
 * //**Free Web Resources** –// Are there any pathfinders already created for your project?
 * //**Books!**// Are there any relevant books available in your library? Can you interlibrary loan books that would be helpful for your research?

**Part 5: Recording information**

 There are many methods for recording information. Taking well documented notes on your research topic helps you organize the information. Using your notes to write your paper or create your project also helps you avoid plagiarism and is evidence of your own work. The method for taking notes will often be determined by the instructor, however it should also reflect the strengths of the learner. Information can be recorded using the 2 column Cornell Method as seen here**:** To make the document larger, click on the upper right hand side- it will take a minute to maximize. media type="custom" key="3513928"   Making notecards for your research is also an excellent way to organize your information. See the following link (on the notecard) for information on creating your notecards with the all of the information that you'll need.  Additional information available below regarding the following systems of notetaking: Outline, mapping, charting and sentence method. There are also many new options for taking notes online. Click [|here]  to see a list of these programs.

** Part 6 Preparing to Write/Create **

Once you've taken your notes, you are going to need to organize your notes to meet the needs of your written piece or project. Be sure to look back at your original assignment to make sure that you have gathered enough relevant information to complete your assignment. Use a graphic organizer to help you outline your information. See the examples below. To make the document larger, click on the upper right hand side- it will take a minute to maximize. media type="custom" key="3513444" <span style="color: rgb(0,0,0); font-family: 'Times New Roman';">


 * <span style="font-size: 150%; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Part 7 Writing the Paper/Preparing the assignment **

<span style="font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Every assignment will have different requirements. You will need to check the rubric for the assignment to determine your progress with your research. The teacher guidelines for your assignment will need to be followed. One common feature of every research project however, is the need to __create citations correctly__. Your Works Cited page should include a reference to websites, books, magazines, journals etc., that you used in your research as well as any audio or visual resources that were referenced. This includes pictures included in presentations and songs. There are many online options for helping you create a correctly formatted Works Cited page. Free online tools include [|Son of Citation Machine] and [|Easybib]. Here is a good example of what your Works Cited page should look like. **<span style="font-size: 80%; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"> **

<span style="font-size: 150%; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Part 8 Evaluation/Self Assessment

<span style="font-size: 130%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"> <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">You've done all of your research and you think you've completed your project or research paper. Make sure that you review your work. Does your research adequately support your thesis? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Is your Works Cited page done correctly? Do you have your notes available to show your teacher if asked? Check the assignment rubric. Did you complete each section to the best of your ability? <span style="font-size: 150%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Feel free to refer back to the beginning of this chapter to review what you need to do! If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, feel free to email me, or contact your teacher for further instructions. Abbe Waldron <span style="font-size: 150%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">
 * This is an Open Source Document**