Guidelines for Research/Work Cited
Doing Research
· The vary nature of research requires that you use multiple sources to get your information. See your directions for specifics about the minimum number of sources required. If there are no specifics listed, go with three.
· JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING IS ON THE INTERNET DOESN’T MAKE IT TRUE.
· Wikipedia may not be used as a source. PERIOD! This is because anyone on the planet can edit that site and its information may contain errors.
· Make sure that the websites you use are reputable. Avoid websites that are trying to sell you something or are schools. If you see k12.state abbreviation.us as part of a website URL, it is a school. Com = commercial, gov = government, edu = education, org = organization
· Know who put the website together. If you are not sure if a website has quality information, ASK. If your internet source has an author, make sure you research who the author is to see if they are credible. Be sure they have an expertise about the topic. If you cannot find an author, research the sponsor or organization who runs the website, if it is not credible or the author is not credible, IT IS NOT A VALID SOURCE
· You may not use just the internet for your research. You must also use print resources.
· Make sure that you organize your information so that you know what you have and what you still need.
· If you have a partner in the assignment, divide up the work so that you aren’t repeating each others efforts. You will get more work done in a shorter period of time.
· If you are taking notes out of a book, make sure that you have written down the necessary work cited information before you put the book back.
· When getting information off the web that you want to print, you may COPY and PASTE the information from the source into a Word document for research notes. Make sure you include ALL the information that you will need for work cited such as the author, web page name, URL, the date you accessed it, etc... YOU MAY NOT PRINT DIRECTLY OFF THE WEB.
· Remember that if you use information from a source without appropriately crediting the quote to the author AND citing the source in your Works Cited, it is plagiarism and considered cheating.
· If you copy and paste information directly from a source and pass it off as your original work on any project (group/individual), it will result in an automatic zero and an office referral for all members involved in the project.
· ALL GROUP MEMBERS SHOULD BE ACTIVE PARTCIPANTS IN EACH PART OF THE PROJECT: RESEARCH, WRITING, ILLUSTRATING. EACH GROUP MEMBER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL CONTENT OF THE PROJECT
· ALWAYS ASK BEFORE YOU PRINT. Remember there are limits to how many pages you can print each day, so maximize the amount of information on each page.
Work Cited
· YOU MUST CITE EVERY SOURCE YOU GATHER INFORMATION FROM!
· Use the website www.knightcite.com to help you do your work cited.
· Before you go to the website to start your work cited, make sure that you have the information that will be needed. This will include authors or editors, titles, publisher information, copyright information. If you are citing a website you will also need the URL, sponsor of the website, and the dates created or updated and accessed. For website you will need month, day, and year.
· When you use the knightcite website, identify the type of resource that you are using on the left hand side so that the site will give you the correct format.
· Final work cited is in alphabetical order. It should not be numbered or bulleted. Also notice that all lines after the first line of an entry are indented.
· Pictures will be cited using the URL on or next to the picture. This can be done with a textbox. If you don’t know how to do that ASK. The URL should not include the word “google” or any other search engine if you do it correctly.
· Remember that sounds must be cited like any other source of information.
Sample Work Cited
Ambrose, Stephen E. Nothing Like it in the World. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2000.
Ellis, Joseph J. His Excellency George Washington. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006.
Garcia, Jesus, et al. Creating America: A History of the United States. Evanston, Ill: McDougal Littell, 2003.
George Washington. White House, 2010. Web. 30 July 2010. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/georgewashington>.
George Washington's Mount Vernon. Mount Vernon Ladies' Association., 2010. Web. 30 July 2010. <http://www.mountvernon.org/learn/meet_george/index.cfm/>.
Morris, Richard B. Witness at the Creation: Hamilton, Madison, Jay, and the Constitution. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1985.
Ramsey, David. "The Life of George Washington." Archiving Early America. Ed. Don Vitale. 2010. Web. 30 July 2010. <http://www.earlyamerica.com/lives/gwlife/>.
I acknowledge that I have read the guidelines to research and understand the expectations that accompany them in the classroom.
Parent Name (printed) ______Child’s Name (printed) ______
Parent Signature ______Date ______