1. Third Nine Weeks
Research Vocabulary

2. research Definition Characteristics Examples Non-examples
Results of an investigation on a selected topic.
Uses facts and reliable sources, not opinion!
research
“The History of the Bermuda Triangle.”
“Bermuda Triangle: A Dangerous Place.”

3. source Definition Characteristics Examples Non-examples
Primary source: from the time period.
Secondary: a second-hand account.
A place where you find information related to a topic.
source
Atlas
Encyclopedia
Online Database
Biography
.org or .gov sites
Websites and writing that are “sketchy.”

4. citation Definition Characteristics Examples Non-examples
A source used in an essay, report, or book.
Used to clarify, illustrate, provide evidence.
citation
Hopkinson, Deborah. Voices from the Disaster. New York: Scholastic, Print.
A traffic ticket.

5. paraphrase Definition Characteristics Examples Non-examples
Putting something in your own words.
An accurate restatement that does not repeat the original text.
paraphrase
Bear Grylls explained that you should swim parallel to shore.
Cut and paste.

6. evidence Definition Characteristics Examples Non-examples
Facts, figures, details or quotations.
Information that provides support for claims.
evidence
Titanic’s lifeboat
capacity was 1,178. There were 2,208 people on board.
There weren’t enough lifeboats for the people on board.

7. valid Definition Characteristics Examples Non-examples
Founded on truth or fact.
Can be proven.
valid
In 1945,
five Navy planes
were lost in an area near Miami, Bermuda and Puerto Rico.
Thousands of planes and boats have disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle.

8. thesis Definition Characteristics Examples Non-examples
A sentence that focuses a research paper.
Overarching statement. Declarative.
thesis
The Titanic sinking
remains one of the most intriguing tragedies of the 20th century.
Under a starry sky, the Titanic sank in the icy Atlantic.

9. bibliography Definition Characteristics Examples Non-examples
A list of books, websites and other sources used in a research paper.
Also called a “Works Cited” page. The last page of a research project.
bibliography
Hopkinson, Deborah. Voices from the Disaster. New York: Scholastic, Print.
Footnotes, in-text citations.

10. relevance Definition Characteristics Examples Non-examples
Importance to the matter at hand.
Adds valid evidence or clarification to a topic.
relevance
Understanding
icebergs is relevant when learning about the Titanic.
Off-topic or unimportant information.

11. authority Definition Characteristics Examples Non-examples
A person looked to as an expert.
Scientists, doctors, experts in a field of study.
authority
If you were researching nutrition, a dietitian or doctor would be an authority.
When researching the Bermuda Triangle, someone who went there on a cruise is not an authority.

12. copyright Definition Characteristics Examples Non-examples
The legal right be the only one to copy, publish, or make money from writing, music, or
art.
Copyrighted material is registered in the US Copyright Office.
copyright
Copyrighted material is marked by a ©.
“Fair use” (not for profit) and “public domain” items are exceptions.

13. text features Definition Characteristics Examples Non-examples
Text features are written elements of a book or text.
Text features help you find facts quickly.
text features
Index
glossary, atlas,
almanac
paragraph, headings
Illustrations, charts

14. graphic features Definition Characteristics Examples Non-examples
Graphic features help you better understand text.
Visual elements of a passage.
graphic features
Charts
Graphs
illustrations
topic sentence
paragraph

15. plagiarism Definition Characteristics Examples Non-examples
Stealing someone else’s work and presenting it as your own.
Several words or entire sections of work copied from a source. .
plagiarism
Cut-and-paste
Ideas .
Paraphrase (ENTIRELY in your own words), then credit your source.

16. text structure Definition Characteristics Examples Non-examples
How writing is organized.
Shows the purpose of the writer.
text structure
compare and contrast
cause and effect
chronological order
columns
font
Underline, boldface