Research: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

1. Research: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly 6th Grade

2. How Do I Start? ARRGGGHHH!!! My teacher gave me a research project. What do I do now? I know nothing about research. The first thing is to remain calm. The second thing is to get organized. The third thing is to dive in and enjoy all the learning you are about to do!

3. Where can I go? Books Magazines Internet Online Databases/Encyclopedias Other people

4. So Many Choices…How do I choose? First things first, make sure your sources are reliable. Wikipedia is not reliable information! Second thing, think about the information you are trying to find. Third, if you are stuck, ask for help! You have to start somewhere.

5. Make it or break it! Search terms are extremely important because you can either get too much information or too little information. Either way is overwhelming. Think about what you are trying to find out about the topic and consider that while you are searching for information.

6. What is a good resource? • A good resource is one that: • Is reliable • Is applicable to the topic you are researching • Are impartial or unbiased (don’t have an opinion)

7. What is a bad resource? • A bad resource is one that: • Is unreliable • Is not relevant • Is biased

8. How do I know the difference? Consider where the information is coming from Consider the author or the organization that is producing the information Read the material and decide for yourself. Trust your own judgement.

9. Description of A Website The truth about Martin Luther King: Includes historical trivia, articles and pictures. A valuable resource for teachers and students alike.

10. Actual Content of the Same Website The probe of King not only confirmed their suspicions about King's Communist beliefs and associations, but it also revealed King to be a despicable hypocrite, an immoral degenerate, and a worthless charlatan. Reading Garrow's article, one is led to the inescapable conclusion that King cheated because he had chosen for himself a political role in which a PhD would be useful, and, lacking the intellectual ability to obtain the title fairly, went after it by any means necessary.

11. Description of the Website Share your dream now and visit the King Center Digital Archive to see more than 10000 documents from Martin Luther King's personal collection

12. Actual Content of the Website During the less than 13 years of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s leadership of the modern American Civil Rights Movement, from December, 1955 until April 4, 1968, African Americans achieved more genuine progress toward racial equality in America than the previous 350 years had produced. Dr. King is widely regarded as America’s pre-eminent advocate of nonviolence and one of the greatest nonviolent leaders in world history. During the less than 13 years of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s leadership of the modern American Civil Rights Movement, from December, 1955 until April 4, 1968, African Americans achieved more genuine progress toward racial equality in America than the previous 350 years had produced. Dr. King is widely regarded as America’s pre-eminent advocate of nonviolence and one of the greatest nonviolent leaders in world history.

13. Website Description Learn the truth about pit bull myths, such as the pit bull's locking jaw, the supposed culling of man-biters, the media conspiracy against pit bulls

14. Website Content Despite pro-pit bull claims that pit bulls are not unpredictable, the breed frequently attacks without provocation or warning. It is well documented by humane groups that to excel in dogfighting, pit bulls were selectively bred to conceal warning signals prior to an attack. For instance, a pit bull may not growl, bare its teeth or offer a direct stare before it strikes. Unlike all other dog breeds, pit bulls are also disrespectful of traditional signs of submission and appeasement.

15. Website Description For 101 years, U.K.C. has provided dog fanciers and breeders with a top level of service and support. USA.

16. Website Content The American Pit Bull Terrier has a long history of being a physically active, muscular, very agile breed, and has maintained breed type for over 150 years. Sometime during the nineteenth century, dog fanciers in England, Ireland and Scotland began to experiment with crosses between Bulldogs and Terriers, looking for a dog that combined the gameness of the terrier with the strength and athleticism of the Bulldog. The result was a dog that embodied all of the virtues attributed to great warriors: strength, indomitable courage, and gentleness with loved ones.

18. TOO MUCH! What do I do? • If you get too much information, you can do different things: • Don’t stress about it! • Take what you need and leave the rest. • Ask for help from a friend, teacher, or the librarian. • Change your search terms. • Change your focus.

19. TOO LITTLE! What do I do? • If you get too little information, you can do different things: • Ask for help from a friend, teacher, or the librarian. • Change your search terms. • Sometimes, you can change your topic. • You can always go back and look for more information.

20. Ahhh…Just Right When you get enough information, you can start to take your information and create your project, paper, or presentation. Make sure you have your information organized so you know where it is and can do your citations.

21. Citations…What are those? When you write a paper, citations tell your teacher (or whoever else reads your paper) where you got your information from.

22. How do I do citations for books? • Book Citations Include: • Author’s first and last name • Title of the book • Where it was published • Who Published It • Date it was published • Format Example: • Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. City of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication.

23. How do I do citations for magazines/newspapers? • Magazine/Newspaper Citations Include: • Author • Title • Title of newspaper or magazine • Date published • Page numbers • Format Example: • Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Periodical. Date: pages.

24. How do I do citations for websites? • Internet citations include: • Author • Title of the Website • Date published (if available) • URL • Format Example: • Editor or Author (if available). Name of Site. Name of institution/organization . Date created (if available). Date of access.