MYPAD > GROUPS > PADUA LIBRARY > QUICKLINKS > LIBGUIDES > ENGLISH > RESEARCH PAPERS - MRS. KREUTZER'S STUDENTS (Be sure you select the one with Mrs. Kreutzer's name and not the General Research one!!)
1) *****FIRST THINGS FIRST***** WHAT TOPIC ARE YOU RESEARCHING???
TIPS FOR FINDING RESEARCH IDEAS:
- Work with your teacher to find a topic that meets the following criteria: (1) the topic interests you; (2) the topic fits the assignment requirements; and (3) the topic is one for which you can find quality resources (from databases, etc.).
- If you are struggling for ideas, you may want to explore sites like ProCon.org that will give you topic ideas.
- You can also use WIKIPEDIA to assist you. While you cannot use Wikipedia as an academic source (because anyone & everyone can add to Wikipedia), you can use it to get ideas. Type in your topic of interest, and you may find some ideas. You may even find some sources if you look under the REFERENCES area.
- HOT TIP: Use GOOGLE to help you explore topics by going to Google and typing the following into the search bar:
- (Type in...) Research topics associated with ___?___. (For example, type the following in the Google search bar: Research topics associated with Taylor Swift.)
BUILDING YOUR LIST OF SEARCH TERMS/PHRASES...HOT TIPS:
Once you have a topic in mind, you need to build a set of terms & phrases associated with that topic, because the key to making research more manageable is finding the right search term(s)/combination.
- Don't keep trying the same word/term if you're not getting any results. The best thing to do is to brainstorm & map out optional words/terms/phrases before you even begin researching, because finding the right phrasing is the difference between a successful search or a great deal of wasted time and frustration. Use these tips to help:
- To help you find terms/phrases, go to Google and type in the following:
- try typing the following into the Google search bar: Research terms related to ___X___. (For example, Research terms related to working from home)
- OR try typing this into the Google search bar: Synonyms for __X__. (For example, Synonyms for working from home)
- IMPORTANT: Be sure you are either typing those terms/phrases on a doc or you are writing them in a notebook.
2) ***** SECOND BIG STEP***** FINDING RESOURCES:
Once you have some search terms, you can begin researching with 3 OPTIONS FOR RESOURCES: print, websites & databases.
- (A) PRINT RESOURCES: (physical books, etc.)(teachers will always accept print resource as long as they fit the assignment requirements)
- (B) WEBSITES: (Google, or other search engines)(could be good resources...but they will be questionable, so you would need to verify author, date of publication, etc.)(teachers will hesitate with these or may not accept them at all)
- (C) DATABASES: (academic/quality resources that have been peer reviewed and evaluated for authority, accuracy, and currency)(purchased by educational institution/library and are typically password protected)(teachers will always accept these)
BONUS TIP: If there is bear icon by any website or database, it doesn't mean the other sites aren't as good, it just means that the site is a Padua student favorite for finding resources!!
(A) PRINT RESOURCES:
- You might luck out and find a book right here in the Padua Library. To check, go to above tab: "PADUA LIBRARY: Destiny Library Catalog." Correctly spell your topic term & use "keyword" search option for best results. You can also check out the "PUBLIC LIBRARY" link if you aren't having any luck finding resources here. You can always see me for help with this.
(B) WEBSITES:
- Although you should always use databases over websites, particularly for academic resources, websites can be a secondary option, so if your teacher will accept a website for this project, check out Google; however, practice BETTER Google Skills and realize that you will need to validate your sources as required by your teacher (by providing author, date, etc.).
- SAVING WEBSITES: Save websites by bookmarking them or copying & pasting URL's into a doc
- HOW TO DO A BETTER GOOGLE SEARCH: There are many ways to do a better Google search!! Try the following:
- use words "and" & "or" to narrow/broaden search (example: teens or adults and texting and accidents)
- add year(s) if it helps narrow your timeline (example: teens or adults and texting and accidents 2023-2025)
- filter for .edu (educational) or .gov (government) or .org (organization) sites over .com (commercial) sites by adding those labels (example: teens and texting and accidents .org .gov. edu)
- use quotation marks around multi-word terms (this tip is often hit or miss)(example: *cuban missile crisis*)
- see the SEARCHING tab on this LibGuide for even more tips
- see images below for visual examples
(C) DATABASES:
- Teachers/Professors will prefer (and may even require) databases over general websites, because databases are purchased by your educational institution/library and contain academic information that has been peer evaluated for authority, accuracy, and currency. Bonus: citations are provided.
- The Padua Library offers these two main databases to our students: (1) GALE Databases (purchased by the Padua Library) and (2) INFOhio Databases (provided to students by the state of Ohio).
- You can find these under the DATABASES tab/folder on this LibGuide.
- GALE: If you are looking for academic type topics, I highly recommend GALE > POWER SEARCH as a good starting point (see the Databases tab).
- INFOHIO: If you are looking for academic as well as more current/pop culture type topics, I also recommend INFOHIO > ACADEMIC SEARCH PREMIER as a good starting point (see the Databases tab).
- ***IMPORTANT REMINDER ABOUT INFOHIO*** For any INFOhio database, you'll need to hit "OPEN" before you are in the actual database (see image):
- SAVING DATABASE ARTICLES: Saving databases is NOT the same as saving websites (bookmarking & URL's will NOT work!!).
- REFER TO THE DIRECTIONS BELOW FOR SPECIFICS ON SAVING RESOURCES:
***** SAVING INFORMATION: REMINDERS*****
- HOW TO SAVE YOUR INFO: Be sure you know where you are locating information (websites versus databases) & how to save for each type.
- SAVING FOR WEBSITES (things found in Google): Bookmark the article or save the URL in a doc.
- SAVING FOR DATABASES: You CANNOT bookmark or save the URL for databases. For databases, you MUST save the entire article in your Google Drive. See images below for directions on how to do that for GALE & INFOHIO.
GALE: SAVING ARTICLES IN GALE DATABASES:
INFOHIO: SAVING ARTICLES IN INFOHIO DATABASES:
I'M HERE FOR YOU IF YOU NEED MORE HELP: You are always welcome to stop up or gmail me (Mrs. Frech) if you need more assistance or have questions.
