Research is a life skill. You use it every day inside the classroom and out. Which smart phone should I buy? What college should I choose? What car should I buy? You apply the same modes of research in your coursework for papers, presentations, discussion posts, and more. It is crucial to know how to navigate through this linear research process. In doing so, you will gain lifelong skills of information literacy.
The details for each step of the research process will vary depending on the topic, available research, and assignment or research goal, but the main idea behind each step will always remain the same. By developing a research strategy, you will be better able to focus on your topic, organize your search, manage your time efficiently, progress from general to specific resources, and understand when you have researched your topic thoroughly or if further examination is needed.
The Research Process - High School
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Inquire |
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Introduce research topic and brainstorm prior knowledge, issues of interest, questions to be answered on a broad topic. Ex: Cold War, Endangered Species Formulating and Refining Inquiry Questions |
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Select a Topic |
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Students narrow down the broader topic to a level that can be researched effectively and create a thesis question. Ex: How did Cold War propaganda effect East-West relations, Why is the Orangutan endangered and what can be done about this situation |
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Locate Resources |
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Students search for materials that will enable them to address their thesis. |
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Evaluate Selected Resources |
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Students need to be able to defend which of the on-line resources are most valid and should be used in the research project. |
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Gather Information |
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Students will use their evaluated resources to make notes that support their thesis. |
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Organize Materials |
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Students take all the information they have found and put into their notes and organize it into a meaningful form. They should organize their material before they begin to create their final project. Printable Graphic Organizers for Writing 5 Paragraph Essay Organizer (Make a copy) |
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Cite Sources |
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Students need to develop the academic habit of citing sources. As they move through school this aspect of the research process becomes increasingly important. NoodleTools - available on media homepages, students have accounts already set-up, results are more likely to be accurate than other citation sources available. |
