Step 1 I found it, Now what?

Background WRONG find out why. WRONG find out why Well done, you found some good web sites thanks to search engines and using smart strategies. Now it is time to use this information, but where to start? I know I’ll print them all. WRONG find out why. Or I’ll copy and paste them. WRONG find out why

Objective By the end of this lesson you will know: How to reference a web site The dangers of plagiarism. The importance of knowing the difference between your ideas and words and someone else’s.

Lesson Whew, all that hard work using search engines has really paid off. I found some great web sites. There is an awful lot of information to read and remember. How am I going to do it all? Easy, by taking it one step at a time. That first step is keeping track of all those great web sites.

Once you find a good web site, that has information you want Once you find a good web site, that has information you want. You need to save it by: Adding it to your bookmarks, for easy retrieval. This allows you to go back to a web site quickly and easily, without having to type the address (URL).

Keeping a record of the following pieces of information for your bibliography: Let’s use the web page, where you found this PowerPoint as an example. Tompson, C., “I Found It, Now What?” Step 1 Section 2. 2006. 10 February, 2006. <http://www.tompsonsolutions.com/masters/step1.htm>. Author, “Page Title.” Site Title. Publication Date. Date Visited. <URL>.

The information that you collect, when referencing a web site, lets anyone in the world visit that same web site. Author, “Page Title.” Site Title. Publication Date. Date Visited. <URL>. Remember that web sites do get updated (changed), that is why we include the date you last visited the web site.

Saving the web site information allows you to: 1) Go back to it, or recommend it to other people. 2) Reference it in your work. This means formally recognizing where you found the information. This will go in your bibliography as a way to acknowledge the author for the helpful information. 3) Let others know which ideas are your own, and which ideas belong to other people.

You know it is wrong to steal. You know it is wrong to cheat. So, why do people do it in their writing? It’s called plagiarism when you use or copy somebody else’s work or ideas and don’t say where it comes from. This is very serious, and in school teachers may give you a zero or worse.

If I can’t copy (plagiarize), how am I supposed to tell others what I have learnt? Easy, by learning a few strategies you will be able to look over a web site and pull out the main ideas. These strategies will be explained to you as you work through step 2 to 6. Don’t panic you will learn a few different ways, and you will soon find a favourite.

Sometimes you might want to share the exact words from someone else’s work. This is called a quote. It is alright, as long as you let people know that they aren’t your words. Instead you use quotation marks and indicate who said it, and where you found it (reference.)

You are now ready to practice, complete Activity Sheet 1 Let’s Review Bookmark or write down each useful web site. Be sure to reference any web sites used in your research in a bibliography. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Use quotes, and say who wrote it. You are now ready to practice, complete Activity Sheet 1