WALK IN WORK Get out your notebook and something to write with. Go to the writing section and label the next two pages “Research Questions and terms”

HOW TO RESEARCH EFFECTIVELY 37B

FIRST THINGS FIRST Before anything else, you have to know what you are going to research. Here are some initial ideas of topics. If you and your group have a particular one in mind. Run it by me to get it approved. Only one group can Topic Climate Change Animal Ethics Hacking Ethics Standardization vs. Differentiation of intelligence Cloning and/or stem cell research Nuclear Energy Space Travel Designer Genetics (designer babies) Use of Drones Use of Robots Social Effects of technology Vehicular Tech and safety Population control Psychological effects of music Concussion effects on the brain

NOW YOU NEED TO FIGURE OUT SOME STUFF… Next, you need to decide what you want to focus on WITHIN that topic… This means that you want to come up with the beginnings of a DEBATABLE claim. But, you should not be completely decided about what you believe until after you have done your research!

DEBATABLE VS. NON-DEBATABLE When you get to the point that you have a topic and a direction in mind, you are going to start thinking about what your claim is going to be. You will want to have a DEBATABLE claim, which means: It is controversial Two reasonable people could have opposing points of view And that those points of view would be valid based on evidence and reasoning

EXAMPLE Topic: the amount of time teens spend on technology Debatable: Con: Too much screen time has a negative effect on student performance in school. Pro: The more time teens spend on technology the more literate they become with an important tool inside our society and particularly the workplace. Non-debatable: Teenagers and adults use media in many ways.

GROUP PRACTICE Choose 3 possible topics from our list or others you want approval on. Then, you need to come up with two debatable claims that represent two different points of view on EACH topic. If you have a topic you need approval on do those claims first and get them checked with Ms. Sawyer.

NEXT STEPS In order to be ready for your days of preliminary research, you will need to do the following: Come up with research questions Know what search terms you might use

YOUR TASK You will come up with a basic claim you are interested in for your topic, and then you will come up with 2-3 research questions that you can use to guide your research.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS What is a research question? A question that is open- ended, directly related to your claims, and purposeful (so, the answer will be used to support your argument) Example: Topic: Computers and technology in motor vehicles Pro: All manufacturers of motor vehicles should be including the latest technology in their vehicles as tools for the passengers and driver. Con: Manufacturers should decrease the amount of distracting technology in their vehicles for the safety of the passengers and the driver. Example: Research Questions What kinds of technology are manufactures putting in vehicles now? Have any accidents been linked to the increase in technology in a car? What technology are manufacturers currently developing for cars?

SEARCH TERMS AND EVALUATING SOURCES You need to choose relevant search terms when it comes time to do your online research. Be specific—instead of “car accidents,” use “distracted driving” if you are researching the question of whether or not new car technology has an effect on driving safely Use quotation marks if you have exact phrase in mind Once you get to a list of results, don’t just pick the first link; read the descriptions of the sites to get a better handle of what they might cover and how relevant they are to your research questions.

PREPARING FOR MONDAY You will need to have the following: 2 claims that you are willing to revise as you do research 3-4 research questions 6 or more search terms for your topic An understanding of the source tracking sheet we will provide.

WHOLE CLASS ACTIVITY In your groups, you will now practice with the topic of “school safety.” Come up with at least 3 different search terms (phrases) that you could use to do some research on this topic. Then, we will practice as a class and see what happens when we use those search terms. If we find a decent source, we will then practice using the evaluation tools we discussed to determine if it is a decent source.

EVALUATING SOURCES Criteria for Evaluating Websites Accuracy -no errors and operates properly -information is consistent with other sources Validity -appears to be well researched AND/OR -a statement about the purpose of the site Authority -author is well qualified to write on the subject and/or -the site is part of a respected institution (e.g., a college, a museum, a newspaper, a journal) Currency The site has been updated recently Coverage -covers the topic fully -other related topics are discussed on the site, and/or -resource section with links to other sites