The Research Process

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The Research Process

By Mr. McPhee Library Media Teacher
(LMT) Sylmar Senior High School
Adapted from resources provided by Kitty
Kroger, LMT
San Fernando SHS
Original resources, used with author permission,
were taken from Stanley, Deborah B. Practical
Steps to the Research Process for High School.
Englewood, Colo. Libraries
Unlimited Inc., 1999.
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THE SIX STEP RESEARCH PROCESS

• 1. Identify your topic and sub-topics
• 2. Locate cite appropriate sources
• 3. Read/Think/Select Information
• 4. Notetake
• 5. Sort Number Notes
• 6. Write/Publish/Present Research

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STEP 1

• IDENTIFY TOPICS
• SUB-TOPICS

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Identify your topic sub-topics by
Brainstorming
History/ Evolution
Structure
U.S. Political Parties
Purpose/ Function
How Effective?
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Identify your topic sub-topics by
Searching
Using a encyclopedia or non-fiction book
Broad Topic
Sub-topics
Related Articles
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STEP 2

• Locate Cite Appropriate Sources

Dont Read..skim and scan!!!!!
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Types of Sources

• There are different types of sources. In the
  library, we have source slips for books,
  reference books, online reference databases,
  periodicals, online periodical databases, web
  sites, and electronic media (CD-ROMs)..
• Many teachers require you to have a certain
  number of sources that come from different types
  of sources.
• Pretend you needed at least 5 different sources
  from at least 3 different formats.

Who met the requirement why/why not?
No---only 2 types!
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Cite sources
Follow directions on source slips cards
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Where to find citation info?
Title

• This is called the title page.
• Additional information needed is found on the
  back of the title page.

Author
Publisher City
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Internet searching skills
USE AS MANY KEYWORDS AS POSSIBLE
OVER 1.45 MILLION HITS!
Political Parties
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Internet searching skills
USE AS MANY KEYWORDS AS POSSIBLE
Down to 606,000 HITS!
Political Parties (in quotes)
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Internet searching skills
USE AS MANY KEYWORDS AS POSSIBLE
Down to 521,000 HITS!
Political Parties AND US
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Internet searching skills
USE AS MANY KEYWORDS AS POSSIBLE
Down to 271,000 HITS!
Political Parties AND US AND history
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Internet searching skills
USE AS MANY KEYWORDS AS POSSIBLE
Political Parties AND US AND history AND modern
Down to 98,600 HITS!
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Step 3

• Read, Think, Select Information

• Read an entire chunk before selecting facts.
  Put your pencil down.
• Think about what was read. What was important?
• Select appropriate information from each chunk

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Step 4

• Note-take

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RULES FOR NOTE-TAKING

• One note per card!
• Record only important facts or keywords.
• Take out little words like a, an, and the. Use
  commas and dashes instead.
• No sentences!
• 25 words or less per note.

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NOTECARD SETUP
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EXAMPLE 1 OF NOTECARD
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EXAMPLE 2 OF NOTECARD
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How could you make better?

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You try!
How could you make these notes shorter?
In the autumn of 1919, he began to attend
meetings of a small nationalist group called the
German Workers Party.
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Step 5

• Sort Number Notes

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(No Transcript)
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Step 6

• Write/Publish/Present Research.

• Each card (/s) will become a paragraph of
  information.
• Dont forget to include title page,
  parenthetical citation, and a works cited.

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Parenthetical Citation

• Use parenthetical citation at the end of every
  1-2 paragraphs OR when you switch sources OR
  right after you use a quote.
• The author's last name is used, and the specific
  page where the information was obtained.
• Example (Smith, 42).
• If there is more than one source by same author
  use enough words of title to lead reader to right
  citing
• Example (Smith "The quest for, 42) or (Smith
  Danger in, 42).
• If no author use next item in full citation.
• Example (Born Free, 44)