ResearchAn Introduction

What is research?

• Best defined as “the search for knowledge.”• Research is what you do when you try to

obtain information.• There are many ways to conduct research but

all of them involve utilizing something called a source.

Sources

• A source is defined as a place where one finds or obtains information.

• Sources can be divided into three basic categories:

• Print• Web• Other

Print Sources

• Print sources include physical books, magazines (periodicals), newspapers, pamphlets, and anything else that has been published in print.

• Print sources are generally regarded as more reliable than web sources.

• Why?

Web (online) Sources

• Web sources are simply sources found on the world wide web. They should be used judiciously because anyone can create a blog or website.

Other Kinds of Sources

• Videos• Interviews• CD-Rom• AVL- Alabama Virtual Library• Other online databases

Note Cards and Source Cards

• Note cards should be used to record information from a source.

• Source cards are used to record the bibliographic information about a source.

Bibliographic Information

• The publication information of a source. For example:

• Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic Press, 2010. Print.

Works Cited

• A works cited page is a list of all bibliographic information of sources used in a report.

• We will use MLA style- Modern Language Association—more on this later

Plagiarism

• The act of stealing or copying someone else’s ideas or writing and presenting it as your own.

• There are two kinds:• Intentional• Unintentional• Both are considered plagiarism

Avoiding Plagiarism

• In order to avoid plagiarism you must know how to take good notes.

• There are three ways to use source material correctly.

1.Paraphrasing- rewriting in your own words2.Summarizing- condensing material3.Direct quotations-using quotations with

quotation marks to show clearly that the words do not belong to you.

Possible Topics

• Animals• Famous People• Historical Events• Natural Phenomena (earthquakes, storms,

volcanoes, etc.)• Mysteries (Bigfoot, Loch Ness Monster, Bermuda

Triangle, etc.)• Sports (by the decade- Basketball in the 80’s,

etc.)