The Big 6 is an easy way to understand the research process. By using these six steps and pacing yourself, you can ensure that you are inspired rather than overwhelmed by the research process.
To successfully conduct your research and write an essay you are proud of, check out this worksheet use the hyperlinks on this web page to follow the worksheet's instructions. If at any time you want more information on the research process, talk to Mrs. Holt.
For examples of a project where students solved a problem and supported their solution, check out this website.
To successfully conduct your research and write an essay you are proud of, check out this worksheet use the hyperlinks on this web page to follow the worksheet's instructions. If at any time you want more information on the research process, talk to Mrs. Holt.
For examples of a project where students solved a problem and supported their solution, check out this website.
1. DEFINE your task:
These links will help you manage your time, define your information need, brainstorm topics, and narrow or broaden your subject.
Manage Your Time:
Brainstorm and Focus Your Topic:
2. STRATEGIZE about how you will find information:
These links will help you brainstorm search terms, determine search methods, and choose the best search method to accomplish your task.
3. FIND and EVALUATE information:
These links will help you effectively find and evaluate relevant, reliable information using active reading strategies and efficient search strategies to save yourself time.
Read and Evaluate Actively:
Search Efficiently:
4. USE information:
These links will help you collect information from your sources and take notes.
5. SYNTHESIZE information with your knowledge to create a final product:
These links will help you organize and present your information through citations and inspiring projects.
Cite Correctly and Avoid Plagiarism:
6. EVALUATE your product and your process:
When you have finished researching, be sure to use your teacher's rubric/ the task you were assigned/ your knowledge of writing and presenting to evaluate both the quality of your PRODUCT and the effectiveness of your PROCESS.
These links will help you manage your time, define your information need, brainstorm topics, and narrow or broaden your subject.
Manage Your Time:
- Assignment Calculator - Enter your assignment deadline and assignment type, and this will create a calendar to help you pace yourself!
- Assignment Planner - This is a free app that you might choose to download to your android device if you want help keeping track of when your assignments are due.
Brainstorm and Focus Your Topic:
- Topic Triangulator - Use these 3 steps to narrow your topic to ensure it is specific and manageable.
- Stasis Questions - Use these questions (by Aristotle) to determine whether your argument is one of fact, definition, quality or policy. This will help you to focus/ narrow the scope of your research and of your topic.
- Question Brainstormer - Learn to easily develop sophisticated research questions.
- Question Type Tool Kit - This list of questions, categorized by types, will help you create a question you would like to research and write about.
2. STRATEGIZE about how you will find information:
These links will help you brainstorm search terms, determine search methods, and choose the best search method to accomplish your task.
- Step Zero Strategy - Brainstorm terms you must, might, and mustn't use.
- NETS - By Narrowing, finding the Exact phrase, Trimming back the URL, and finding Similar pages, you can catch the perfect page that will accomplish your research task!
- Choose the Best Source Type - Use this table to see the purpose of each source type.
3. FIND and EVALUATE information:
These links will help you effectively find and evaluate relevant, reliable information using active reading strategies and efficient search strategies to save yourself time.
Read and Evaluate Actively:
- CRAPP Website Evaluation - Use this method to ensure your sources are reliable.
- Active Internet-reading Strategies - Read this thorough explanation of strategies to better understand what you read online.
- ABC's of Website Evaluation - Determine which four or five criteria matter most. Remember, all criteria are important.
Search Efficiently:
- INFOhio - INFOhio gives you the power to conduct effective research since, as a student, you are given free access to high quality resources.
- FREE Online Databases - Use these online databases, newspapers, magazines, etc. to find a variety of sources.
- Pathfinders - Categorized by subject, these can help you find relevant information; however, do not assume that all information is credible. Evaluate the sources to determine credibility.
4. USE information:
These links will help you collect information from your sources and take notes.
- Note-card Tutorial - Quickly learn how to create MLA source and fact cards to conduct efficient research.
- NoodleTools - Create an account for this by signing in with your weschools account, and you can use this account throughout your school career to cite sources, make note-cards that are tied to each source, arrange your note-cards into piles, create an outline, and print a works cited page.
5. SYNTHESIZE information with your knowledge to create a final product:
These links will help you organize and present your information through citations and inspiring projects.
Cite Correctly and Avoid Plagiarism:
- Plagiarism Checker - Plagiarismchecker.com will let you check your entire essay for plagiarism.
- Citation Machine - Use this citation generator to easily cite your sources in the style your teacher requires.
- Citation Guides - This hyperlinked list of citation guides can help you to quickly cite sources.
- Project Ideas Chart - Scroll down to get ideas for how to present your research and create exciting projects. (History Pin's site has moved here.)
- Current Writing Competitions - See the "Write section" to enter current writing competitions where you could be published or win money or prizes.
6. EVALUATE your product and your process:
When you have finished researching, be sure to use your teacher's rubric/ the task you were assigned/ your knowledge of writing and presenting to evaluate both the quality of your PRODUCT and the effectiveness of your PROCESS.