Research Report Day 1

Part 1:

• Defining Research Essay• Brainstorming Topics

What is a research paper?

• A research paper:– Has a clear purpose– Presents information about a topic that has been

researched or looked up (fact-based writing)– Shares the sources from which the information is taken:

Internet, books, newspapers, magazines, interviews, etc.– Includes citations for these sources—author’s last

name/title of article and page number(s)– Is written using a formal tone/style and an objective,

serious voice (devoid of personal opinion)

What is brainstorming?This is how you will come up

with an idea!

• Opening your mind and letting ideas flow:–Clustering– Listing– Free writing–Questioning

Whatever works for you

Brainstorming Research Paper Topics

Take a moment and share ways you can explore/choose research topics for an essay.

Brainstorming Research Paper Topics

• Think about:– Interesting subjects that you’ve studied– Interesting people: artists, musicians, athletes, politicians,

writers, etc.– News topics– Events that have impacted our world– Future career– Recreational activities– KEY: LOVE your topic!!!

Let’s take a moment to share our topic ideas!

Part 2:

• Researching a topic• Taking notes• Credibility of Sources

Objectives

• To gather resources that incorporates both print and online sources for the research report

• To learn how to make notecards for the research report

• To determine the credibility of resources

Where to start researching?

• Where can you look for information on your topic?

What does it mean to have “Reputable Sources”?

• When doing research, you need to find sources that are RELIABLE. That way, you can actually support your thesis (the overall argument of your essay).

• If your sources are unreliable, it can actually disprove your thesis statement!

How Do You Know if Sources are Reliable?

• There are a number of things to look for when determining whether or not a source is reliable!

• Remember this word when finding sources:

T A P

What does that stand for?

• “T” stands for “Title.” Make sure that the title relates to your topic of research.

• “A” stands for “Author.” Is this an author you’ve heard of? What is his/her educational background? Do they have authority in that subject area?

• “P” stands for “Publication Information.” Can you easily locate when and where this source became available? Did the information come from a source that is still applicable (not too old)?

Here is a List of Sources that are Usually Reliable:

• Academic Books or Professional Journals written by authors who are known in that subject area

• Specialty magazines or newspapers (such as “Time,” “The Wallstreet Journal,” “The Huffington Post,” etc.)

• Governmental Reports • Reports from known, reputable organizations, such as

the “World Health Organization,” or other well-known groups.

• Thesis posted in university libraries• TV or Radio programs where reliable/reputable

sources have been interviewed.

Continued….

• Documentaries that are used by students and staff at universities.

• Primary sources, such as original letters, diaries, journals, notes, novels, plays, poetry or music scores.

• The internet, if the site has a reputable author, publisher, and domain name that show the site has the relevant credentials for your subject area.

You decide on the subject heading• Imagine that your topic is the bandicoot. You did not

find much when you searched. You know that the bandicoot is a marsupial that lives in Australia.

• Which terms might lead you to useful information on bandicoots?

Australia – Natural history

Marsupials

Australia – wildlife watching guidebooks

Australia - history

First 3 choices are the best since their heading is related to Australian wildlife.

Bibliography Card

• It is important to keep track of the source of the information.

• Here is an example:

Bibliography Card Information

• Books: call number, author’s name, title, city of publication, name of publisher, date of publication, publication medium

• Magazine articles: author(if known), title of article, name of magazine, date of publication, volume number (if available), page numbers, publication medium

• Encyclopedias: author(if known), title of article, name of reference work, publication medium

Bibliography Card for an Internet Source

• For an internet site, you will need to include the following information:– Title, title of website, date of website,

organization, date of access, and web address

Which notecard is correct?

The answer is . . .

This is correct because you will want to make sure to summarize important points. You can paraphrase the words by reading the information and writing down the information in your own words. You can also quote the information by placing quotation marks around the information that comes word for word from the source.

Plagiarism

• Using the work belonging to someone else as your own.

Review of Objectives

• To gather resources for the research report• To learn how to make notecards for the

research report• To determine the credibility of resources