Conducting Research

Conducting Research Methods for Finding Informative Resources

Table of Contents • Choosing a Topic for Research • Teacher Assigned Report • Student Initiated Research • Locating Informative Resources • Using the OPAC to Find Books • Resource Folder, Magazines & Newspapers • Online Websites & Documents • Applying the Resources Effectively • Plagiarism • Credits - Citing used information

Choosing a Research Topic • Teacher Assigned Report • Subjects related to assignment • Science – Minerals, Inventors • Social Studies – Civil War, States, History • English – Writers, Poets, Fictional Characters & Stories, Grammar Usage, Parts of Speech • Math – Mathematicians, Inventors, Theorists, Problem Solvers, Architects, Building Contractors • Student Generated Research • Background info for Book Reports • Student Interest Projects – You Choose the Topic • Teachers allow students to choose a topic from a list

Locating Informative Resources Questions about Resource Locations: * Where is the fiction section located? * What type of books can be found in the fiction section? Adventures, Mysteries, Sci-Fic, Fantasy, Drama, Comedy

Locating Informative Resources Questions about Resource Locations: * Where is the non-fiction section located? * What type of books can be found in the non-fiction section? Environment, Plants, Animals, Organisms, Planets, Writing Skills, Sports, Drawing, Historical Events, States, Countries, etc.

Locating Informative Resources Questions about Resource Locations: * Where is the reference section located? * What type of books can be found in the reference section? Encyclopedias, Atlases, World Records, Resource Files, Dictionaries, etc.

Locating Informative Resources Questions about Resource Locations: * Where is the biography section located? * What type of books can be found in the biography section? Biographies of Famous Celebrities, Politicians, Inventors, Authors & Other Influential People

Locating Informative Resources Questions about Resource Locations: * Where is the paperback section located? * Where is the magazine section located?

Locating Informative Resources • Logging into the Computer • Username: • Last name + First & Middle Initial + Birthday Month + Birthday date • Ex. cannonrc0325 • Password: • Complete Birthday (Month + Day + Year) • Ex. January 1, 1993 = 010193

Locating Informative Resources • Locating the Destiny Media Center Lookup or Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) • Left-Click on the Start Button • Left-Click All Programs • Left-Click School Apps • Left-Click on the MEDIA CENTER LOOKUP • See Next Slide for Display

Locating Informative Resources Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC)

Locating Informative Resources • Using the OPAC (Basic Search) • Find the Search Spacebar • Type any Keywords, Title, Author or Subject into the Spacebar • Example: Type Treasure Island in the spacebar • Click the Hot Button to retrieve the book’s record • Repeat this process for all OPAC inquiries • Use the Accelerated Reader Subcategory • Search by Reading Level • Search by Points Value

Locating Informative Resources 1. Type Searches in Space Bar 2. Click Keyword or Subject 3. Look up by Reading Level or Point Value

Locating Informative Resources 1. Search Results Will Be Displayed Here Double-click Title Card Hyperlinks to see the Complete Title Record Number of Available Copies

Locating Informative Resources Call Numbers Summary of Book AR Quiz Info Toggle Between Title Cards

Locating Informative Resources Using the OPAC (Power Search) • Open the Destiny Media Center Lookup • Click the Power Tab on the right side of the OPAC • Type any Keywords, Title, Author or Subject into the Spacebar • Example: Type Treasure Island in the spacebar • Type additional Keywords in the space provided • Optional: Click Boolean Terms – And, Or, Not • Optional: Accelerated Reader Subcategory • Search by Reading Level • Search by Points Value

Locating Informative Resources Keyword Search Boolean Terms AR Reading Power Search Tab

Locating Informative Resources Using the OPAC • Scan the List of Resources • Each record includes: • The Title of the book • The Author of the book • An Overview of the book • AR Information (if it is an AR book) • Call Number – Where the Item is Located • Narrow your list of resources, by: • Determining which resources are currently available • Determining which items are actually related to the topic • Determining which items are the most appropriate resource for the assignment

Locating Informative Resources Using the OPAC (Visual Search) • Click the Visual Search Tab on the left side of the OPAC • Click on an interesting Visual to see which books the Media Center has related to the subject • Example: Animals – Bears • List will only contain books about Bears • Repeat this process to find additional books, using some of the other visual icons

Locating Informative Resources Visual Search Tab Visual Icons More Specific Visuals

Locating Informative Resources Visual Search Tab Resource List on Animals – Specifically Bears

Locating Informative Resources Using the OPAC (Category Search) • Click the Categories Tab on the left side of the OPAC • Select a Category related to Research Topic • Example: Click Careers, if you were looking for books related to the topic of Career Education • Narrow down the list, by scanning the title cards to determine the best resource to obtain • Repeat the process for each search of a category

Locating Informative Resources Click on Categories Tab

Locating Informative Resources Click on Careers to access resource list Scan over list of Resources Click Title Hyperlink to access Title Card

Locating Informative Resources • Using the OPAC • Write down the resource on a piece of paper, It should include: • The Title of the Book – Ex. Treasure Island or Spiders • The Call Numbers – Ex. FIC STE or 595.4 ZAB • Locating the Resource on the Book Shelf • Call #’s depict where the items are Located • Ex. FIC = Fiction • Ex. 796.33 AME = Non-Fiction • Ex. B = Biography • Ex. REF 912 SCH = Reference

Locating Informative Resources • Determining the Need for the Resource • Quickly Scan through the Materials • Look for Good Information or Data • Return the Resources Not Needed to Drop Bin • Make sure that the material is appropriate and correlates to your assignment. • Ex. Science project on Physical Planets • You would not want a book on Space Exploration • You would want a book on Earth, Mars, Saturn, etc.

Locating Informative Resources • Resource File Folders • Folders w/ Pre-discovered files or documents for quick & easy access to data or information • Materials are available upon request • Must ask a Media Staff Member for access to these items • These folders generally contain: • Reproducible Documents that can be copied for Quick & Easy Access to Data, ex. Resource File on Countries around the World • Articles related to the folder topic • Magazines & Newspapers • Materials are located across from the paperback books • These items are not cataloged into the OPAC system • Will not find them in the Online Card Catalog OPAC • These items are for in-library use only

Locating Informative Resources • Magazines & Newspapers • How to Find Good Information in these Resources: • Use the Table of Contents & Indexes to find topics of interest • Browse the magazines for: • Current events both Nationally & Internationally • Popular Topics of Discussion or Debate • National or State Projects Being Implemented • National or International Disasters or Tragic Events • Political, Social or Economic Situations • Browse the newspapers for: • Local current events • Local Weather patterns • Local Issues of Interest or Debate, i.e. school events, activities, county projects or topics of discussion • Limited National & International News

Locating Informative Resources • Online Websites & E-Documents • First, know what is being researched, i.e. Topic • Brainstorm - write down some sub-topics that can help you find additional information pertaining to your research • Now you should be ready to conduct some internet research • Begin by left-clicking on the Internet Explorer Icon • Locate a Kid Friendly Search Engine, like provided: • www.askforkids.com/ • yahooligans.yahoo.com/ • Type the web address in the address tool bar • Press Enter to retrieve the search engine website homepage Search Engines – an entry level search mechanism that was created to retrieve resources quick and easily from a central database

Locating Informative Resources • Online Websites & E-Documents • Access the search engine • Locate the search box, usually found at the top of the webpage. • Type in the subject or topic being researched into the search box space provided • After pressing enter on the keyboard, the internet connection will run the search clues through the database to find resources with the same keywords. • The results will be displayed on the webpage. (10-10,000) • Single-click on a result to access it • Scan over the results to see, which ones appear to be related to the topic being researched

Locating Informative Resources • Online Websites & E-Documents • Determine which resources will bring you the best information, by examining the websites for creditability • Good Creditable Websites • .ORG = Organizations - very creditable, non-profit organizations, facts supplied by research documentation • .EDU = educational - very creditable, non-profit, education purposes only • .GOV = governmental websites - extremely creditable, government controlled, facts about politics, government programs, policies, laws, etc. • Bad Non-Creditable Websites • .COM = commercial websites - very opinionated, full of unreliable information, commercial advertisements, & personal views or ideology

Locating Informative Resources • Online Websites & E-Documents • Determine which resources will bring you the best information, by examining the websites for OBJECTIVITY • Good Websites • Provide actual research data & analysis from real research • Provide Documentation of the Research • Quote Creditable Individuals that are related to the topic • Companies, generally have no monetary interest behind the website • No opinions are drawn or made about the topic of discussion • Bad Websites • Incomplete or obscure information is presented as fact • Sponsored by commercial advertisers or corporations with a vested interest in the topic ($$$$) • People present personal views or ideology as fact • No documentation of research conducted

Locating Informative Resources References • Encyclopedias – a collection of resources that are arranged alphabetically by there Subject • Ex. Planet Earth – Do you look in the E or the P encyclopedia • Atlases – a collection of maps, often including illustrations, data tables, charts & topical graphs • Biographies – a written account of the life of something, i.e. person, animal, or an historical building, landmark, or treasure • Almanac – an annual publication that usually contains astronomical & meteorological data (Space & Climate Data) as well as any general information that was deemed important or influential to the community. • Dictionary - a reference that contains words that are arranged alphabetically and generally contain information about their meaning, pronunciations, functions as well as any syntactical or idiomatic uses

Locating InformativeResources References Table of Contents – A list of subjects discussed in the resource as well as the page #, in order to find it. Index – a list of bibliographical information or citations that are arranged in alphabetical order according to Author, Subject, and/or Keyword Glossary – a collection of textual terms & definitions that explain or detail the meaning of the term Cross-reference – a notation or direction at one resource (generally a Book or Filing System), which describes where to find additional pertinent information from another resource

Applying the Resources Effectively • Plagiarism – the act of copying another person's work word for word and then trying to pass it off as your own • Consequences • (Real World) Result in a lawsuit • (Real World) Results in the loss of creditability • (Real World) Result in loss of job • (School) Results in failure of the assignment • (School) Results in discrediting the students integrity • (School) Could result in the student being restricted from using the internet in the future • Don’t Plagiarize Good Information! Quote it! • Not Plagiarism if: • Quote the words or sentences exactly as they were printed “” • Cite the source after the quote, ex. (Author, Page #) • Cite the information in your bibliography (credits)

Applying the Resources Effectively • Credits - Citing resources, in order to give credit to the authors for their original work • Citing Printed Resources (Books) • Author L. Name, First, Title, City: Publication, Date • Example: Simmons, Johnny, Escape from Oregon, Portland: Scholastic, 2004 • Citing Websites • Author L. Name, First, “Title”, Title of Website, URL, Access Date • Example: Sims, John, “Captive”, Freedom to Explore, www.freedomtoexplore.com, May 3, 2006.

Credits: • IAC Search & Media, Inc., “Ask for Kids”, Ask for Kids Search Engine, www.askforkids.com, January 16, 2006 • Yahoo, Inc., “Yahooligans”, Yahooligans Search Engine, http://kids.yahoo.com/, January 16, 2006

Conducting Research