RESEARCH TOOLS

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RESEARCH TOOLS

• SCHURR HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY

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RESOURCES
1. We have big chalk online database, of
magazines. Username 04-3349 Password
big chalk 2. Thompson/Gale Opposing Viewpoints
User User Username schurr Password
high
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NARROW YOUR TOPIC

• Use the metasearch engine such as, vivisimo.com
  it creates subtopics
• Also use Opposing Viewpoints of our web page.
  (Thompson/Gale)

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BIBLIOGRAPY

• Use a web site http//landmark-project.com
• It has a citation machine, which will help you
  with your bibliography in both MLA format and APA
  format.

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SAVING YOUR FILE

• If you are typing your report in anything but
  Microsoft Word 2000, you need to save it as a
  text file when you save.

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EVALUATING WEBSITES

• Not all of the information to be found on the
  World Wide Web is accurate and not all websites,
  no matter how attractive, are good. Thus
  evaluating a web site becomes an important
  activity when researching your paper. When
  evaluating a website, consider the following
  questions.

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EVALUATING WEBSITES

• Authority Is the author well known.
• Bias Is it clear what organization is
  sponsoring this page. Do they have anything to
  gain.
• Date How old is the website.
• Misinformation Where does the information come
  from? Is there a bibliography or citations you
  can research?

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Fact or Opinion?

• In reading nonfiction, it is important to
  distinguish between fact and opinion. One can
  easily draw wrong inferences and conclusions if
  what is accepted as fact is in reality only one
  person's opinion. To test whether or not a
  statement is a fact, ask these questions

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Fact or Opinion?

• Can it be proved or demonstrated to be true?
• Can it be observed in practice or operation?
• Can it be verified by witnesses, manuscripts, or
  documents?

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Fact or Opinion?

• This does not mean that opinions should be
  discounted. On the contrary, sound opinions based
  upon logic, research and study, and experience
  are very valuable. However, to be an alert
  reader, one needs to know where fact ends and
  opinion begins.
• If you need more information on evaluation of a
  website go to the following website
• http//school.discovery.com/schrockguide/pdf/weval
  .pdf

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PLAGIARISM

• Plagiarism is using someone else's exact words,
  numbers or unique ideas without properly citing
  the source. Plagiarism is dishonest, unethical
  and at times illegal. Students who plagiarizes
  can be expelled from the university. One way to
  avoid plagiarism is to use the direct quote. When
  you use a direct quote, all you do is use the
  author's exact words, identified with quotation
  marks.

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PLAGIARISM

• Another way to avoid plagiarism is the indirect
  quote, which is also called paraphrasing. When
  you paraphrase, you restate the original passage
  in your own words and in your own style.
  Remember, the information still needs to be
  documented because the idea belongs to the
  author.

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HELPFUL PARAPHRASING

• Choose a topic of interest to you.
• Comprehend the full meaning of the information.
• Cover the essential information. Be sure to hit
  the main points.
• Write your passage first, then reread the
  original passage after you paraphrase to check
  for accuracy.

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HELPFUL PARAPHRASING

• Avoid borrowing language. Use a thesaurus. Avoid
  just replacing one word with another. Use your
  own grammatical structure.
• Use paraphrasing and avoid to many quotes.