Web Resources to Support the Research Process
1. Brainstorm/create a mind map
2. Choose/narrow your topic
3. Search for reliable information
4. Setting goals and staying organized
5. Notetaking
6. Present research
7. Cite sources
1. Brainstorm/create a mind map
I have a general topic but I want to narrow my focus and/or understand the sub topics of the general topic. Try these online resources to help you:
Try one of the ready-made interactive thinking guides. You can print them, edit them, and make them your own. Create a free account and save your work for later use. You can work alone, with a group, or submit your map to your teacher for comments.
Organize your thoughts by creating notes or “popplets”. You may also include photos and videos in your popplets.
An easy way to create mind maps by yourself or in a group.
a. Make a list of things you already know about the topic and a list of questions you would like to answer about the topic. From the list of questions, choose those you find most interesting.
b. Build some background knowledge on the topic to help you narrow your focus.
- Do some preliminary background reading of an article in a subject encyclopedia or database.
- Look for magazine articles to get a general idea of the key issues or controversies involved in your topic.
Advanced Placement Source or Elibrary Canada are both good starting places to find magazine
articles.
- NoodleQuest can assist you by helping you select the best search engine for your needs.
c. If your assignment requires a thesis statement try the Thesis Builder and Outliner by Tom March.
3. Search for reliable information.
Information can be found in a variety of sources. Sources include:
- Journal articles (popular and academic).
- Books
- Encyclopedias
- Audio-visual material (CD ROMs, DVDs, Video)
- Websites
Journal articles are found in databases which are online search tools that index collections of information. Our periodical databases are used to search:
- Journal articles (popular and academic)
- Newspaper articles
- Maps, photographs, charts
- Book reviews
- Primary source documents
- Radio and TV transcripts
When searching the “free” web be sure to match your information need to the best search engine. This guide can assist you in your selection: Choose The Best Search For Your Purpose
4. Setting goals and staying organized
Stay on top of your work by setting goals and staying organized. Try using one of these web tools to keep you on track to complete you assignment.
To-Do List Apps
IzyToDo
Create your own list of tasks you need to complete to meet the assignment deadline.
Wipee List
Allows you to share your list with other students and/or teachers if you are working on a group project.
Reminder App
Deadline:Good things happen to those who plan
Download the App to your phone or use your email account to get email reminders about research goals and assignments.
Student Organizers
TrackClass
TrackClass helps you get your school work organized. From reminders to notes to assignments and grades, you’ll be on top of your studies!
Soshiku
Manage your assignments and receive email and receive due date notifications via email or SMS.
Ubernote
UberNote is a knowledge management tool enabling you to quickly store and access your content from anywhere. Submit notes using email, IM, and mobile devices or clip web content with the browser toolbar. With UberNote you can instantly access your notes and benefit from your own knowledge.
Evernote
Evernote can help you store and save your notes from a webpage, save photographs, and create bookmarks. Retrieve this infomation by keyword searching on your computer, phone, or portable device.
There are many ways to present your research. Here are some of the possibilities you may want to consider:
Oral: cassette, chant, choral reading, choral speech, choric drama, debate, dialogue, discussion, intercom message, interview, lecture, lesson teaching, monologue, oral imitations, panel discussion, reader’s theatre, report, song, speech, story theatre, storytelling, survey
Visual: advertisement, artifacts, blueprint, book jacket, bulletin board, cartoon, charts, collage, computer graphics, diagram, display, film, filmstrip, flow chart, folding screen, graffiti, logo, mind map or web, mini-gallery, mural, overhead, photocopy, painting, photocopy, photoessay, photographs, posters, print, program, project cube, rebus, record cover, rubbings, scrolls, slides, spreadsheet, storyboard, tableau, tables, time capsule, timeline, transparency, visual journal, wordless book
Written: acrostic, advertisement, autobiography, bibliography, biography, book review, brochure, case study, celebrity cards, codes, computer program, criticism, crossword puzzle, definitions, editorial, epitaphs, fact file, instructions, invitations, itinerary, journal/diary, letter, list, logbook, manuals, menus, message, newspaper, outline, palindromes, pamphlet, puns, quotation collage, recipe, record book, report, requests, resume, review, schedule, script, slogans, song, story, summary, telegrams, textbook, tongue twisters, travelogues, want ads, worksheet
Kinesthetic: collection, costume, creative movement, dance, demonstration, diarama, dramatization, experiment, flip-book, game, impersonation, min-centre, mobile, model, museum, pantomine, playmaking, prototype, puppetry, puzzle, scrapbook, sculpture, stitchery, terrarium, treasure hunt, vivarium, weaving
At Harry Ainlay High School we recommend students use the bibliographic software NoodleBib to generate a Works Cited page. If you are a first time user you will need to click on “Create a Personal ID” to set up a NoodleBib account. If you are in the school you will be automatically authenticated but if you are outside the school you will need to provide a username and password. this can be obtained from Schoolzone under the tab “School Resources”. Be sure to remember your personal ID and password to allow you to return to your NoodleBib account.
Once you have your account, you will be taken to your “My Lists” page. Click on “Create a new list” to create a works cited list. Step one is to select the format (select “MLA advanced”, ”APA”, or “Chicago/Turabian”), and then in step 2 give it a descriptive name (i.e. “Eng. 10-1 paper” or “Eng 10-2 short story”), then click on “start adding citations.”
You will be taken to the “Bibliography” page. Near the top, there is the phrase “Cite a” and a drop down box. You will select what it is you are citing (magazine article, journal article, book, reference book or website, etc). Even if your book or article came from one of the library’s databases—i.e. Gale Databases etc, still select “book” or “article”. There will be a screen later asking whether or not your source was “print” or “online”. There you will select online if it came from one of the Library’s databases. Make your selection and click on “Create Citation.”
Once you make a selection, you will be taken through a series of screens asking you questions about your source. When you first use Noodlebib, read and follow along carefully—with practice you will find it easier. There are a lot of phrases such as “Click here for instructions” or “Advanced help with Names” or “what words should be capitalized” that you can click on that will show you the right way to enter the name, title, publisher, etc. To move from screen to screen, use the buttons at the bottom of the page.
When you get to the final screen, one of the buttons at the bottom will say “generate citation.” Click on this and you will be taken back to the “Bibliography” page and you will see your citation listed in the format you selected. Remember you need to enter the right information in the right boxes for it to come out correct and you need to follow advice given in the hyperlinked phrases (such as the “click here” or “more help”) to make sure you get the capitalization and other formatting issues correct.
To add another citation, again use the “Citing a” and select from the drop down box. When you are done entering in your citations, you will see them all on the “Bibliography” page, listed by type of source. Your options for creating a Works Cited page are listed up at the top of the “Bibliography” page. Click on “Save as Word Doc” to save it as an RTF document (A format that can be opened by Word, Works, Word Perfect and a lot of other word processing programs). When you do this, you will see your Works Cited page created, with the entries in alphabetical order.