Emily Stewart
Objective 1 (Domain: Cognitive). Students will narrow or broaden the research inquiry as necessary and synthesize multiple sources on their research topic to demonstrate their knowledge of the research process with at least 80% accuracy.
Objective 2 (Domain: Cognitive). Students will gather relevant information using advanced searches effectively, and they will assess the usefulness of each source to demonstrate their knowledge of the research process with at least 80% accuracy.
Objective 3 (Domain: Cognitive). Students will correctly cite the sources they find, therefore avoiding plagiarism, with at least 80% accuracy.
Explore the resources within this curation to facilitate your journey through research, analysis and citing! At the beginning of each source's description, choose which type of resource will best address your needs: conducting research strategically, citing properly, OR formulating a research paper. Each resource is specifically incorporated in order to build your confidence in moving through the research process flawlessly.
Conducting Research The Gwinnett County Public Schools ("GCPS") Online Research Library is a great tool for finding a search engine that meets more focalized needs related to various content that you may not find as readily in Galileo. Please note, this tool works most effectively if you are already logged into your GCPS eClass account. Many of these search engines are history-related and can facilitate your research if you need additional facts on the evolution of your topic. To use this resource effectively, click the name of the search engine (i.e. "Gale PowerSearch") next to the image associated with that source. When conducting a search, remember to adjust the years to 2010 through 2020, and check the "Full Text" and "Limit Your Results" boxes for the most efficient search results. If a specific search engine does not work to your benefit, move on to a different resource.
Conducting Research If you are feeling overwhelmed by the research process, check out "10 Tips on How to Find Good Sources for a Research Paper." Spoiler alert: This resource has MORE than just 10 tips! You can find Types of Research Paper Sources (primary, secondary, tertiary) and thorough descriptions of each. There is also a list of 20 Credible Research Sources if you want to gather ideas before conducting formal research through the Online Research Library. If you are stuck and unsure of where/how to begin, the tips for working through the research process will help you feel confident analyzing, synthesizing and formulating that final research product.
Conducting Research Ashford University, like many universities you will be attending in the fall, offers tips and tricks for choosing great sources for your research. This resources outlines the C.R.A.A.P. test to conduct on each source before deciding which will most effectively facilitate your research process and substantiate your chosen topic. Learning how to determine if a source is Current, Relevant, of valid Authority, Accurate, and Purposeful is a great stepping stone to determining if the source you found is the source for you. We are moving away from defaulting to the first source we find and truly assessing the validity and applicability of each source we come across and choose to incorporate. The interactive tutorial included within this resource will greatly facilitate you in your research journey.
Conducting Research As you are getting ready to graduate, it is beneficial to look at the skills we are working on and assess how well you will be able to apply them at university and in the real world. As seniors, you have been exposed to various 21st century classrooms. In your academics and electives, your teachers have worked with you to navigate through Research & Information Literacy, Communication & Collaboration, Critical Thinking & Problem Solving, and Creativity & Innovation. Having the most exposure of arguably all other students in grades beneath your own, your goal is to be within the "Target" range of each criterion within this resource. Keep in mind that I will not be with you next you to walk you through these bigger research projects, so while I am available to you, use this resource honestly to assess where you feel I can provide additional insight and support to give you the skills you need to be fully independent and successful.
Formulating a Research Paper Writing a research paper can be overwhelming. While the research rubric you have been given is a valuable tool for understanding how you will be assessed, it may not feel like a good guide for how to begin writing and continue writing strategically. Not only does Scribbr's "How to write a research paper" give you a step-by-step guide for how to write, it also provides really practical reflections for what is involved in each step. They even provide a link to a research paper outline that will help in formulating that final product! One amazing tool within this is a color-coated example paragraph using George Orwell's "Politics and the English Language." Remember Orwell's "Shooting an Elephant" (semester 1) and 1984 (semester 2)? It's as if this example was written just for you! At the end of these suggestions is a thorough checklist for you to self-assess your process and product.
Citing OWL Purdue is the crème de la crème for citing properly and efficiently. While we are focusing on MLA formatting with this research paper, the Purdue Online Writing Lab offers structural tips and tools for various types of formatting, including APA and Chicago, which you may see in an ENGL 1101 class next year. This resource facilitates with formatting your paper (i.e. margins, text, references), in text citations, quotations, and formatting your Works Cited page. OWL Purdue is there to help you manually formulate flawless citations. OWL Purdue includes instruction on how to properly cite various sources, such as books, periodicals, and electronic sources, and there are also examples for what these sources will look like within your text. If you ever have any questions on how to cite properly, OWL Purdue is the place to go!
Citing Once you have reviewed various resources and determine which will be most effective to use in your own research, you must formulate proper citations for your Works Cited page. EasyBib is beneficial for various reasons, but most importantly, within this source, you can create citations and check your paper for plagiarism. When creating citations, choose the source you are using (i.e. book, website) and input specific information, such as the title, ISBN, website address or keywords. You also have the option to input the information manually. Once the citation is created, you simply copy and paste it into your Works Cited! Easy peasy! Also, it would be wise to check your paper in their system for plagiarism or anywhere you might not have cited properly. Use this source to your benefit and avoid plagiarism!
Citing Citation Machine is similar to EasyBib in that it helps with formulating citations. However, Citation Machine also offers a tool that will create citations, provide grammar suggestions, and detect unintentional plagiarism. All you have to do is copy and paste your paper into the box provided after you click "Upload your paper" OR you can upload your paper as a Word document. Click "Check my paper" and Citation Machine will provide feedback. Citation Machine also has guides & resources that will help you with using MLA Formatting effectively and correctively. Don't forget the Student Blog link at the bottom; here you will find tips and tricks from students just like you!
