Doing Research and Taking Notes

Hello Everyone!  We went over some of these things today in class, as we start our research on HBC. I am posting them here so you have it as a reference.

When we take notes for a project, here are some tips!

  • Record your notes in your journal.
  • Write down the resource you are using first, then write notes.
  • Make sure you know what information you are looking for before you start.
  • Read the instructions for the project to make sure you are asking the right questions about the thing you are researching.
  • Use a T-Chart OR organize your notes by question. On one side of the T chart, write down the question. On the other side, write down the answers you find.
  • Don’t copy down everything you read. Only write down key points! Do write down enough so you can remember what you read.
  • Use your own words to summarize what you read, rather than copying.
  • Keep your notes neat so you can find them and use them for your project later!

When you find resources for your research, here are some tips!

  • Use information that is more recent. For books, in the last 15 years, and for websites in the last five years are general guidelines you could use.
  • Use books first if you can. They have well-research and well-presented information.
  • In books, use non-fiction features to help you get to the info more quickly (index, table of contents, headings, captions)
  • Use websites that are REPUTABLE, where you know the information is true. Avoid .com endings, and look for endings such as .edu, .gov, and .org that represent better websites.
  • When you go to find a website, start by using websites suggested by Ms. D on the Articles of Interest or during class. After that, you can use Google to search.
  • When searching on Google, remember to think of synonyms for what you are searching for.
  • When you get Google search results, be careful not to use results that say AD next to them, as those are ads. Also, don’t use the first website that is there — scroll down a bit to see what you find, and only use websites with reputable endings.
  • Avoid wiki websites as those are group edited and not always reputable.
  • If you get stuck, as for help! Be a good communicator!
  • If a website doesn’t have what you want, don’t spend much time on it. There are many other websites out there.
  • Don’t get distracted by videos — stick with reading rather than just going to YouTube and watching videos.

How do you record a resource?

For a book:

  • Title of the book
  • Name of the author or group that wrote the book
  • Name of the publisher
  • Where was it published
  • Copyright date

For a website:

  • Title of the Website
  • Name of the article in quotes
  • Name of the author (look at top and bottom of the article, or in the About Us section of the website)
  • Date of the article (look at the top and bottom of the article — sometimes it will just say ‘last updated on….’ and that is okay to record for the date.)
  • Date you were at that website (websites change all the time.)

Good luck researching!

Ms. D