www.le.ac.uk
Traditional and untraditional research methodsfor the A level Extended Project
Terese BirdLearning Technologist and SCORE Research FellowFor Queen Elizabeth I College EPQ seminar 2 July 2014
Photo by slimlibrary on Flickr
What will we talk about?• Go to the libraries
• Wikipedia
• Is Google evil?
• What’s ‘good’ online info?
• Excellent online ‘libraries’
• How to reference YouTube, iTunes U, Flickr
• Online surveys and interviews
Photo by Ed Yourdon on Flickr
University of Leicester Library/Public library
• http://www.le.ac.uk/library
• Only print books
• Open late!
• Public libraries
• eBooks at public libraries!
University of Leicester DWL on Flickr
Wikipedia: good or bad?
References at the end of articles are handy!
The truth about Google
• Google is a business, not a service
• When you Google something, the results are different from when your friend Googles it
• Examine the website carefully
Websites can have excellent information but…• Consider the motive of the writer
• Advert?
• Look at the small print
What’s ‘good’?
• ‘Peer reviewed‘
• ‘Primary source’
• Examine the motivation for writing
• Examine who paid for it
• Educational authorities
• BBC, Government
Blog post by an expert
Open Educational Resources
New online ‘libraries’: YouTube.eduyoutube.com/education
New online ‘libraries’: iTunes U
New online ‘libraries’: iTunes U
Vimeo – vimeo.com
Flickr – research involving images
Research spark question:Why does Leicester have a Statue of
Liberty on a roundabout?
Photo by Wyrmworld on Flickr
It was on a building once…
Photo: Myleicestershire.org.uk
Why do the old factories burn?
http://myleicestershire.org.uk
How to reference a YouTube video?
How to reference a blog post
Internet power for surveys
• SurveyMonkey
Internet power for interviews
• Skype
• Google Hangout
• Ask permission to record or quote
Internet Power: Twitter
Internet Power: Twitter
Use old and new wisely
Photo by ocean.flynn on Flickr