Ethical Research
How to be as effective as possible while researching
Gathering Relevant Information
- EBSCO Host- Explora Middle School
- Mid-Continent Public Library- Homework Help
- Encyclopedia Britannica (Online)
- Ducksters
- Newsela
- School Library
How can I develop a research question that drives my searches?
- Collect Background Information
- Begin Forming A Question That Is Not Too Broad Or Narrow
- Make Your Question Specific
- Ensure That Your Question Is Relevant/Specific
- Remember To Be Creative
What is the Big 6 for Research?
- Define Your Task- determine information needed and questions to be answered
- Seek Information- find sources and evaluate them to determine credibility level
- Locate/Access- find information quickly by skimming the source, using the index or table of contents and reading bolded areas
- Use Information- take notes
- Synthesize- organize your information
- Evaluate- decide whether you achieved what you wanted by comparing your work to a rubric, directions, etc.
Using Effective Search Terms
Key words are words, terms and phrases that describe the main ideas, concepts, etc. of a topic.
How Can I Utilize Key Words Effectively?
- Do not use whole statements or questions
- Utilize synonyms for your key words when you want different sources
- Use related terms that are connected to your key words as needed
- You can use concepts, but it could lead to too few results
Assessing Credibility
- Who- Is the author an expert? Is the organization trustworthy? Are credentials provided?
- What- What information is provided? What audience is the information directed at? Are both sides of the issue (if there is one) present?
- When- Is there a publication date? Is there a date for the last time the source was updated? Do any links work?
- Why- Is the source pushing an opinion? Are there advertisements on the page?
- How- Is the site simple to navigate? Are there any errors or typos? Are there references listed?
Quoting, Paraphrasing and Summarizing
What is quoting?
Quoting is taking an author's exact words from a piece of writing and giving them credit for these words by using quotation marks.
What is paraphrasing?
Paraphrasing is relaying an idea from a source in your own words, but keeping the message the same.
What is summarizing?
Summarizing is briefly stating the main idea of a piece of text along with a few key details.
Remember:
All of these methods of including information from sources require an in-text citation in order to avoid plagiarism. The source utilized must also appear in your bibliography. Only 30% to 40% of your project should be made up of this content. The other 60% to 70% should be all of your own thoughts and ideas.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a form of cheating in which you steal the ideas of others. Plagiarism could include copying somebody else's writing word for word without giving credit by utilizing quotation marks or in-text citations, an unsatisfactory attempt at paraphrasing and not citing your sources.
What are the consequences of plagiarizing?
Plagiarizing is an extremely serious matter and can lead to much bigger consequences than receiving a zero on an assignment. You could be expelled from college, fired from jobs, forced to pay a fine, and even sentenced to jail time.
How can I avoid plagiarism?
Always give credit to the author no matter what and ensure that you paraphrase if you are not going to utilize quotation marks. Also, always use in-text citations when necessary and cite your sources. The best way to avoid plagiarism is by analyzing the information you have read and coming up with your very own thoughts and ideas about the topic.
Citing Your Sources
We cite our sources in order to give credit to the author of information that we incorporate in our writing. It also lets the reader know that we did not plagiarize and are acknowledging the author.
What types of citations are there?
There are two main types of citations including in-text citations and a works cited/bibliography page. However, there are various formats for a works cited/bibliography page, but MLA is the most common.
How do you create an in-text citation?
- Use a signal phrase. An example of a signal phrase could be, According to _______________, "____________." This tells the reader that evidence is coming.
- Recognize the author either in the signal phrase or with their last name in parenthesis after the evidence is stated.
- Add the page number where the information was found within the parenthesis after the author's last name (if it is there). For websites simply put page one.
- Add source to your works cited page in MLA format.
Works Cited
"Paraphrasing Example." Pinterest. thereflectiveeducator.com, n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2015.
"In Writing Using Direct Quotes." . QuotesGram. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2015.
"Survey Clipboard Research Questions Who What Where When Why How." Dreamstime. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2015.