Locustvalley Middle and High Schools Research Guide

LocustValley Middle and High Schools Research Guide

Prepared for Grade Levels 6 through 12

This Research Guide has been prepared as an online tool for students and teachers to use when addressing research and writing projects in grades 6 through 12.

LocustValleyCentralSchool District

LocustValley Middle and High Schools

Dr. Anna Hunderfund, Superintendent of Schools

Dr. Judith Marino, Assistant Superintendent for Educational Operations and Technology

Dr. Kieran McGuire, Principal, LocustValleyHigh School

Mr. H. Thomas Hogan, Principal, LocustValleyMiddle School

August 2010

Ms. Barbara Mierlak, Editor and Project Supervisor, Chairperson, Library Information

Department

Research, Grades 6-12

Key Words: Research, Citations, MLA, Works Cited, Plagiarism, Information, Web Site Evaluation, Internet Resources, Writing Rubric, PowerPoint Rubric, Research Rubric

RESEARCH GUIDE

LocustValley

Middle School

and

High School

EighthEdition

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Research Project: What It Is and Is Not

What a Research Project Is

What a Research Project Is Not

The Big 6™ Research Process Overview

STEP 1: TASK DEFINITION

Selecting a Subject / Narrowing It to a Topic

Choosing a Subject

Narrowing the Subject to a Topic

Developing the Research Question

The Thesis Statement

Explanatory Thesis Statements

Argumentative Thesis Statements

Analytical Thesis Statements

STEPS 2, 3, 4: Seeking, Locating & Using Information

Collecting and Evaluating Information

Reading with a Critical Eye

Using the Internet

Choosing a Search Tool

DIRECTORIES and PORTALS

SEARCH ENGINES

META-SEARCH ENGINES

Developing a Search Strategy

Keywords and Boolean Searching:

Narrowing a Search with BOOLEAN “AND”

Expanding a Search with BOOLEAN “OR”

Eliminating terms with BOOLEAN “ NOT”

IMPLIED BOOLEAN: PLUS MINUS

PHRASE SEARCHING

TRUNCATION

TITLE SEARCH

DOMAIN SEARCH

HOST SEARCH

URL SEARCH

LINK SEARCH

Evaluating Internet Information

The Source Card

The Note Card

Types of Notes

Quotation

Paraphrase

Summary

Step 5: Synthesis

The Outline

Model Working Outline

Model Topic Outline

Parenthetical Citations

Quotations – Punctuation

Interdisciplinary Writing Rubric

Writing Checklist

Preparing the Final Manuscript

The Format of the Research Paper

TITLE PAGE...... 39

TEXT

WORKS CITED

The Title Page: Example

Works Cited

Example of Works Cited Page:

Step 6: Evaluation and Reflection

Avoiding Plagiarism

English Scoring Rubric – Inquiry-Based Essay

Anatomy of a Science Research Paper

Writing an Abstract

Sample Abstract

Big 6 Research Assignment Checklist for Teachers

Research Organizer

Research Paper Checklist

Presenting Research in a PowerPoint™ Presentation

Web Site Evaluation Guide*

Works Cited

Works Consulted

Introduction

Research is an important element in the LocustValley curriculum. Students graduating from LocustValleyHigh School should know how to conduct effective research, and so must master key skills in a manner that is consistent in all subject areas. The LocustValley

Middle / High School Research Guide has been developed with this goal in mind.

We have designed our requirements for the research process by adapting the Big 6™ Research Process model developed by Michael Eisenberg and Robert Berkowitz. The research citation requirements have been updated to reflect the latest edition of the Modern Language Association’s recommendations in the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (Seventh Edition) and to include a variety of electronic sources.

Whether the final product of the research is a paper, debate, electronic presentation, or other format, the process and skills emphasized in this handbook apply. The understanding and application of these skills will provide a foundation for critical thinking and research in school and career.

September 2010

The Research Project: What It Is and Is Not

What a Research Project Is

A research project synthesizes your discoveries about a topic and your evaluation of those discoveries. The discoveries consist in large part of the ideas, knowledge and actual words of experts in the field you have investigated. But all that would be without value in a research project unless you weighed the discoveries you made and drew conclusions from them. A research project reflects your own ideas as much as anyone else who has written on the subject. Selecting information to use is a personal process; deciding how to approach this information, developing a point of view toward it, and, finally, choosing your own words to present it, are all highly personal activities.

A research project shows your originality. The product resulting from your studies, evaluation and synthesis will be a totally new creation, something that has originated with you.

A research project acknowledges all sources that have been used. Although your research is a new and original work, you will have consulted a number of sources in preparing it, and you must acknowledge these sources. In a research paper, you will use parenthetical citations and a WORKS CITED page. For other forms of presentation, a WORKS CONSULTED list is necessary. It is important to note that the failure to provide proper acknowledgement and documentation of sources can lead to intentional or unintentional plagiarism.

What a Research Project Is Not

A summary of an article or a book is not research. A single source does not permit you to be selective of materials and does not lead you to exercise judgment. Furthermore, since summaries usually follow the order of the original content, not even the organization can be your own.

The ideas of others, repeated uncritically, are not research. If you are satisfied simply to repeat the conclusions of other people without weighing them against what you have learned, you will perhaps end up presenting a satisfactory “report” of those findings, but you will not have done the kind of research this guide is about.

The Big 6™ Research Process Overview

The Big 6™ Research Process outlines six steps to follow when conducting research. These steps provide a framework for thinking about, conducting, and organizing any research project. Here are the six basic steps of the research process based on the Big 6™ model:

Task Definition
Define the information problem: What is the essential / research question?
Identify the information needed in order to complete the task (solve

the information problem): What am I supposed to do? What do I

need to know?

Information Seeking Strategies
Determine the range of possible sources (brainstorm): What sources

are available that might answer my question?

2.2.Evaluate the different possible sources to determine priorities: What

sources should I try first?

Location of Information
Locate sources: How do I find books? How do I access the Internet and online

databases?

3.2.Find information within sources: How do I find information in books? How do I

search the Internet and online databases?

Use of information
Evaluate information within sources for usefulness: How can I tell if information is

relevant and accurate?

4.2.Extract relevant information from sources: How do I take notes?

Synthesis
Organize information from multiple sources: How do I organize my notes? How do I

outline my information?

5.2.Present the information and credit the sources: What is the best format for presenting

my information? How do I credit sources?

Reflection
Judge the product: Did I answer my research question effectively? Is this my best

work? How could it be improved?

6.2.Judge the process: Did I follow the process? How could I improve the way that I

conducted my research?

STEP 1: TASK DEFINITION

Selecting a Subject / Narrowing It to a Topic

Choosing a Subject

Choose a SUBJECT wisely – it should be one that will be interesting and worthwhile to you, one that will not become boring in a week’s time or that you will never think about in your life again. The SUBJECT should be one that you can explore in depth within the limits of the length of the paper or project and the time allotted. If the SUBJECT does not meet these criteria, then it is time to search for a different SUBJECT. If necessary, schedule a conference with your teacher before making a final choice.

Narrowing the Subject to a Topic

After choosing a SUBJECT, the next step is to narrow your broad SUBJECT to a specific TOPIC. Keep in mind that most SUBJECTS cannot be adequately covered in a full-length book, so do not try to do the impossible in a relatively short paper. For example, the SUBJECT “The Role of Women in U.S. History” is too broad and should be narrowed to a specific TOPIC such as “The Role of Women during the Civil War.”

To help you with narrowing a SUBJECT, you should read a background article in an encyclopedia that will provide enough general knowledge to help you begin the process of narrowing your SUBJECT. You may need to limit and focus the SUBJECT by asking journalistic questions beginning with who, what, where, why, and how. For instance, after choosing the SUBJECT “Homelessness,” you might narrow it to “Homeless Children” and finally to “Educating Homeless Children.” Examples of this process are listed below.

American History Most General Ecology

The Role of Women Wilderness Areas

in American History

Women’s Role in the Preservation of American Forests

Civil War Most Specific

------

The Homeless Most General Romeo and Juliet

Homeless Children Characters in Romeo and Juliet

Educating Homeless Children Most Specific Deaths of Characters in Romeo and Juliet

STEP 1: TASK DEFINITION (continued)

Developing the Research Question

After narrowing your SUBJECT into a TOPIC, develop a RESEARCH QUESTION that will provide direction for your research. A RESEARCH QUESTION will lead to an explanatory, argumentative, or analytical THESIS STATEMENT. The most effective RESEARCH QUESTIONS use the words HOW, WHY, SHOULD, or COULD.

Here are examples ofRESEARCH QUESTIONS that might be developed from the TOPICS listed above:

Women’s Role in the

Civil War TOPIC Preservation of American Forests

How did the role of women affect Research Question Why is it necessary to preserve

the outcome of the Civil War? American forests?

------

Educating Homeless Children TOPIC Deaths of characters in Romeo and Juliet

Should the federal Could the deaths of the main characters

government provide support in Romeo and Juliet have been prevented?

for the education of homeless Research Question

children?

STEP 1: TASK DEFINITION (continued)

The Thesis Statement

After developing your RESEARCH QUESTION, answer it in the form of a THESIS STATEMENT. A THESIS STATEMENT is an assertion developed in response to a RESEARCH QUESTION. Depending on your question, your THESIS may be explanatory, argumentative or analytical.

A THESIS STATEMENT sums up the controlling idea of the research and should make clear the direction the research will follow. The thesis is stated at the beginning of your research project, usually at the end of the first paragraph in a research paper. “The rest of your paper will then explain, illustrate, argue for, or in some sense ‘prove’ the thesis” (Weidenborner and Caruso 3). “Writing this statement is a way of making sure that you know where you are heading and that you remain on the right track as you plan and write” (Gibaldi 30). Everything you write should be directly related to your THESIS STATEMENT, either as an example or an explanation of its validity.

A THESIS STATEMENT is much more specific than a SUBJECT or even a narrowed TOPIC, and is developed in response to aRESEARCH QUESTION. For example:

SUBJECT:Homelessness

TOPIC:Educating Homeless Children

RESEARCH QUESTION: Should the federal government provide support for the

education of homeless children?

THESIS STATEMENT:The federal government should not provide support for the

education of homeless children.

SUBJECT:Romeo and Juliet

TOPIC:Deaths of characters in Romeo and Juliet

RESEARCH QUESTION:Could the deaths of the main characters in Romeo and Juliet have

been prevented?

THESIS STATEMENT:The deaths of the main characters in Romeo and Juliet could have

been prevented.

The Thesis Statement (continued)

There are three types of thesis-centered research:

EXPLANATORY – presents information in an organized manner to explain and support a

particular idea

ARGUMENTATIVE – persuades a specific audience to agree with the author’s point of

view.

ANALYTICAL – draws general conclusions from facts and basic evidence.

The following examples illustrate how the types of THESIS STATEMENTS differ.

Explanatory Thesis Statements

Although the story of Romeo and Juliet existed in both Italian and French versions, Shakespeare based his play on an English poem by Robert Brooke.

American women gained equal rights gradually.

Recent major earthquakes on the West Coast have resulted in renewed interest in retrofitting buildings, bridges, and dams with earthquake-resistant structural elements.

Argumentative Thesis Statements

Compared to the poem by Robert Brooke, which inspired it, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a far superior work of literature.

Working women are still denied equal status in corporate America.

California’s urban planning boards should be required by law to provide earthquake-proofing for buildings, bridges, and dams.

Analytical Thesis Statements

The deaths of the central characters in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet are caused primarily by fate.

The Women’s Movement of the late 1960s was highly influential in changing the role of women in American society.

Soil studies during recent West Coast earthquakes demonstrate the validity of rubber building bumpers and giant coil springs as effective means of increasing earthquake resistance in buildings, bridges, and dams.

STEPS 2,3,4: Seeking, Locating & Using Information

Collecting and Evaluating Information

Once you have developed a THESIS STATEMENT, it is time to search for information to explain and support your thesis. There are many resources available for your use in the library information center and in your local public and university libraries. You may use the Destiny OPAC (online library catalog) to find reference and circulating books on your topic. Along with print versions of encyclopedias, books, newspapers and magazines, the collection of online databases will lead you to many additional resources. The Internet can also be an excellent place to search for current information. The libraries’ web pages and e-boards have links to an extensive array of Internet resources related to curriculum. Be sure to consider all possible sources; no one source is best for all information needs.

Reading with a Critical Eye

As you read your source material, it is important that you evaluate it critically. It is your responsibility as a researcher to determine if the information is accurate and reliable. All information and ideas are not equally credible. Ask yourself the following questions when evaluating all information:

Who is the author?
Is the author an expert in this field? How do you know?
What are the author’s credentials?
What is the work about?
What is the main idea?
Why did the author write it?
Who was the intended audience?
How is the work organized?
Where are the main ideas located?
Is the author using a specialized vocabulary?
What words do you have to know to understand it?
How does the author support the main points?
What arguments and/or evidence does the author use?
Can you state the main ideas in your own words?
Do you agree with the author? Why? Why not?
Is the argument true?
Is the information accurate?
What is the copyright / publication date?
Is the source current? Are you researching a current topic that needs current information?
Are the ideas fact or opinion?
Are the ideas biased?
On what grounds can you criticize the main points or supporting arguments? Are these criticisms valid?
Do other sources support the information or argument? If they disagree, why? Which is true?
What is the relevance of the information to your thesis?

Collecting and Evaluating Information (continued)

Using the Internet

The Internet is a wonderful source of information on thousands of subjects. The Internet is NOT, however, the source for all information, nor is all of the information on the Internet accurate. You must be a critical thinker and evaluator when using the Internet for research.

Choosing a Search Tool

Your first step in using the Internet is choosing a search tool. There are several types of search tools that help you access information on the Internet. Search engines help you find what you are looking for on the Internet by searching throughout the Internet for the web sites that contain the search terms or keywords that you enter into the search screen. Meta-Search Engines search many search engines at one time. Directories search collections of pre-selected web sites organized by subject. Portals are similar to directories and are often more specific in nature. They usually provide information from scholarly, not commercial, sources. The list below gives a number of choices that you might try:

DIRECTORIES and PORTALS:

Locust Valley High School Library Web Page

organizes hundreds of helpful web sites according to your courses.

Answers.com searches top-quality reference work to give you reliable, relevant information on each of over 4 million topics. Reference sources from publishers such as Columbia University Press, Thomson Gale & Britannica are handpicked to make sure that you always have reliable and frequently updated facts on any subject you look up.
Use Yahoo! as a directory or as a search engine Choose the directory search for web sites that are organized by categories. The directory searches only the web sites Yahoo! has pre-selected. The Yahoo! Internet search will search the broader web.
Google Scholar provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature across many disciplines and sources: peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts and articles, from academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories, universities and other scholarly organizations.
Librarians' Index to the Internet is a huge directory of sites hand-picked by librarians for excellent content.
Statistical Resources on the Web stats.html is a portal to statistics on a variety of subjects.
Infomine is a great portal for scholarly Internet resources, such as journals. It's a little complicated to search, but worth the effort!
Academic Info is a portal to academic information on the Internet.
Robert Niles Finding Data on the Internet is a wonderful site for links to many sources of statistical data on the Internet.
Big Eye offers portals to Internet sources in many subjects including Arts and Humanities, Science and Computer Technology, Medicine, News and Reference.
Pinakes pinakes/pinakes.html and BUBL Link are British portals offering access to some great science sites among others. BUBL Link organizes all sites by Dewey Decimal number.

SEARCH ENGINES: