1. Research Skills

2. Where do you start?
General topic
Research question

3. Locate the best sources

4. Information Sources Books Magazines Newspapers TV, video, film
Internet
People (interviews, surveys)

5. Evaluate information Balance Reliability Relevance
Also! Pick a topic that has lots of available information

6. Use your library! Public Library Search Online –www.library/ie/public/
Online catalogue
Inter-library loans
Physical & Digital resources
Journals, Maps, Census Records, Newspapers
Specialist librarians

7. Finding a library book Search library catalogue
Use key words
Watch spelling
Use synonyms
Ask the librarian for help
Find out Dewey Decimal Number
Search shelf for books on the same topic

8. Finding a library book Dewey Decimal Classification
Each subject has its own Dewey number:
History = 910s-999
European History = 940s
History of Ireland =941.5
Biographies = 921

9. Searching the Internet
The research results/findings you get from the Internet are only as good as the websites you use

10. Searching the Internet
Don’t just accept the first result
Don’t stop once you’ve read Wikipedia
Try other websites such as:
Biography.com
Britannica.com
History.com

12. What next? Take effective, accurate notes
Be organised! Organize your information in a logical manner
Keep your research question in mind
Don’t plagiarise!
Blend the information from different sources – include your own analysis

13. Back up what you say If you make a statement in an essay, back it up!
Say where you found the information
Say who said it first – use quotes!
You can disagree with the facts, but you need to show you know what you’re talking about