Researching Made Easy with Free Resources: Home

Tips for Selecting a Topic

1. Choose something you are interested in or curious about

• a current social issue

• recent news story

• personal issue/hobby

• aspect of a class to explore further

2. Be aware of overused ideas 

3. Be sure your topic isn't too broad - not World War II, but U.S. submarines in World War II

4. Discuss your ideas with a classmate to help focus your topic

5. Think of Who? What? Where? When? Why? questions

• Who are information providers on the topic?

• What are the major questions surrounding the topic?

• When is/was your topic important?

• Why did you choose the topic?

Databases didn't have what you needed?

Use the Chrome extension MYBib to create easy citations for most internet sources. Bonus: It lets you know the credibility of the source as well.

Click Log In on top right

Click the Google Icon on the bottom left and it log in with your school account. You are NOT creating a new log in.

If this is your first time, you might have to pick your school and fill out a couple of questions.

Create a new project and sources from there.

Go to KANSANS on the menu and drop down to K-12 Resources.

• Click on the Elementary or Middle/High School whichever seems better suited.
• Databases are separated by category. Select the appropriate one for task.
• On the Middle/High School Side READ IT! is an excellent resource: It is a place to find reading material about many subjects. Articles are short, and written to support your reading skills as you learn about topics in English that you need for school and everyday life.
• Under the Database alpha list go to the Bs and Britannica Public. Select your topic and you can read at a variety of levels using the Navigator on the left.

If you are home, you might need the info below to log in:

• Library e-Card: 465828

• Birthdate: 09011965

Use the CRAAP Test

Currency

• How old is the info?
• When was the site last updated?
• Is it current enough for your project?

Reliability

• What is the origin of this information?
• Does the info come from a school or government organization? (.edu, .gov, .org)
• Why do you trust this source?

Authority

• Is there a specific author listed?
• Is there contact info for the author?
• What knowledge or skill does the author have on the topic?

Accuracy

• Where does the info come from?
• Is it supported by evidence?
• Has the info been reviewed?
• Can you verify the info in another source?

Purpose

• What is the motive of the site?
• Does the site attempt to inform you and present all sides of an issue?
• Is the cite free of bias and not trying to sell you something?

Or use the SIFT Method

• STOP - before you take site at face value - do you know the source? the reputation? Use the next steps before you share, believe or use info
• INVESTIGATE the Source - See what independent sources say about the website by Google the site or going to Wikipedia (use the reference links too) to find out more.
• FIND Other Coverage - Can you find verification of the story/facts by other sites? Use fact checking sites such as Snopes.com or FactCheck.org. If you find a better article - great use that one! If you find articles debunking the original - also great.
• TRACE Claims to Original Context - Some articles you find are reporting on another reported story. Be sure you are checking on the original source to verify the accuracy of claims. You might have to dig into the article a bit to see who they are attributing info to. Is it an interview they did? Or is it something like, "According to CBS.com...." If it's the second, find the original story on CBS.com and verify facts from there.

Click on the icon to access E & Audiobooks. (Icon also on ClassLinks.)

If you need to search the internet for your topic, here are a few tricks.

• Avoid clicking on anything that says: AD (usually at the top of the search)
• Use .edu or .org to focus on reliable sources
• Put search terms in quote marks. Example: "future of education" .org
• Use Google Scholar if you want some serious research hits
• Most internet sites will not provide a citation, so use the Noodle Tools "fill in the blank" for that

(From CSNU Library)

Annotations are about 4 to 6 sentences long (roughly 150 words), and address:

•     Main focus or purpose of the work
•     Usefulness or relevance to your research topic 
•     Special features of the work that were unique or helpful
•     Background and credibility of the author
•     Conclusions or observations reached by the author
•     Conclusions or observations reached by you