Research Guidelines
Research is a process, and you may move up and down this list at any time as you find resources and develop or revise your ideas. Here are some key steps:
You should... Browse and explore topics... Select a topic you find interesting; identify key ideas... Examine multiple sources to find credible works... Gather notes and keep track of sources... You may need to: Broaden your topic to provide clear information... -OR- Narrow your focus to a specific example(s) to support a main idea or theme statement... When you're ready to complete your project... Organize your ideas logically... (this could be chronologically and/or progressively developing from the big idea to the more specific) Cite all sources used in your project or paper... (including graphics!) Want more info? Not sure what citations are for? Not sure when and why you need to use them? |
Helpful Tips:
Wikipedia is NOT a source, but it CAN help you understand a topic better and provide you with key terms to research, sources to explore, and links to further explanations of related content.
Evaluate sources for credibility! Google is a tool to help you find web sites, but not all sites are accurate or safe. Consider the example below... The top three hits include:
1) Wikipedia - a useful page for gathering info and outside sources, but NOT a reliable source in itself; 2) A profile on the Nobel page - VERY reliable and useful, includes citation information as well! 3) A "hate site" - this web page presents itself as a good source, but it is actually geared toward very negative and biased perspectives |