Research Skills

5 simple steps for effective research Ex- Plan Locate Organise Represent Evaluate ExPLORE

Planning Think about the subject you are researching Think about the subject you are researching What do you already know? What do you already know? What do you need to find out? What do you need to find out? Make a list of questions you would like your project to answer Make a list of questions you would like your project to answer Which keywords which you will search for? Which keywords which you will search for? Make a mindmap or a list of bulletpoints Make a mindmap or a list of bulletpoints Where you will look for information? Where you will look for information?

Locating Books – have a look at the books in the library, they may be easier to understand than the internet as they are written specially for teenagers. Books – have a look at the books in the library, they may be easier to understand than the internet as they are written specially for teenagers. The Internet - contains everything that anybody puts on it. You will need to search carefully using your keywords to see if you can find relevant and understandable information. The Internet - contains everything that anybody puts on it. You will need to search carefully using your keywords to see if you can find relevant and understandable information. Every time you find a useful website or book make a note of the web address or the author and title of the book, so you can find it again easily and your teacher knows where you found the information. Every time you find a useful website or book make a note of the web address or the author and title of the book, so you can find it again easily and your teacher knows where you found the information.

Website Addresses - URLS Before you decide to look at a website – have a look at its url. Before you decide to look at a website – have a look at its url. The url will give you clues about who produced the site, how reliable it is likely to be, whether it is biased in any way etc. The url will give you clues about who produced the site, how reliable it is likely to be, whether it is biased in any way etc. Look at your sheet on website evaluation to see which addresses are likely to be the most useful to you. Look at your sheet on website evaluation to see which addresses are likely to be the most useful to you.

Pitfalls Do not automatically go to the first website in your list – it may be totally irrelevant. Do not automatically go to the first website in your list – it may be totally irrelevant. Check who made the site –read a bit about them, they may be an expert, or they may be someone with a particular bias they wish to get across etc. Check who made the site –read a bit about them, they may be an expert, or they may be someone with a particular bias they wish to get across etc.

Useful websites (debatabase) (issues key facts) eid=2153 East Rnfrewshire’s online resources ( you will need to know your library card number to access these)

Organise Look through all the information you have found Look through all the information you have found Keep anything that is relevant Keep anything that is relevant Get rid of anything that doesn’t really answer the questions you wrote at the beginning, as well as anything which says the same as other information you have found. Get rid of anything that doesn’t really answer the questions you wrote at the beginning, as well as anything which says the same as other information you have found. Organise all the information you are keeping so that it answers your questions in a sensible order. Organise all the information you are keeping so that it answers your questions in a sensible order.

Represent Introduce your subject, so that people reading it or listening to you know what areas you are going to cover. Introduce your subject, so that people reading it or listening to you know what areas you are going to cover. Use all the information you have gathered to answer your questions, Use all the information you have gathered to answer your questions, BUT – remember to put it in your own words. DO NOT just cut and paste information straight from the internet or books. Finish your project with a BIBLIOGRAPHY – a list of all the books and websites you have used to find information. Finish your project with a BIBLIOGRAPHY – a list of all the books and websites you have used to find information.

Evaluate After you finish think about how you found the information After you finish think about how you found the information Are there things you would do next time? Are there things you would do next time? Are there things you definitely wouldn’t do again? Are there things you definitely wouldn’t do again? What else could you do next time to make your research even better? What else could you do next time to make your research even better?