Steps in Making Research Easier

Step 1: The Key to Success

Keep your research note sheets, assignment sheets, and other papers organized during the research project Understand your assignment and know what your teacher is requiring.

Step 2: Writing your Questions

Know a good question from a bad one. Good questions usually begin with why, how, or sometimes what and bad questions usually begin with who, where, or when. Good questions require long, detailed answers and bad questions have short answers with few details. Bad questions can be changed into good questions by combining bad questions and correct the wording.

Good questions or bad questions

1. How did Marcus Antonius influence Caesar? How was Rome represented in the play? 2. Where was Julius Caesar born? 3. Why did Shakespeare chose to write about Julius Caesar?

Good or Bad Questions Continued 4. Why was the the First Triumvirate the great turning point in Julius Caesars career? What kind of leader was Caesar? 5. Who was Plutarch?

Step 3: How to Skim and Scan to Find Answers to Questions

1. Know the keywords from the questions to help you locate information quickly. Example: What kind of leader was Julius Caesar? 2. Know the synonyms for the keywords in order to skim and scan. Look at the question above. The synonyms are ______, _____, and _____.

 Keep your questions next to you while researching. Have the keywords and synonyms written next to each question. Run your eyes down (skim) and across the page or screen (scan) while looking for keywords and synonyms.

How to Find Keywords and Synonyms in Books and Web Sites Quickly

What to Skim First to Find Answers Quickly

Beginning and ending sentences of paragraphs Headings and subheading Photos and captions Bold and italicized words Use table of contents and index to locate page numbers

Research means.

Re-searching Re-looking Re-reading Re-investigating

until ALL your questions are answered.

Step 4: Taking Notes

As you begin writing the answers to questions, keep your list of questions and keywords nearby. Skim and scan for answers. Write your notes clearly so you can read them later. Summarize your answers and do NOT copy word-forword.

Research Note Sheets

Identify the subject (slug) Source # Use one of the three ways to take notes: paraphrase, summarize, or write a direct quotation. Page #

Sample Source Card from Book

Source # Smith, John D. Rome Long Ago: Caesars Reign. New York: Penguin Press, 2004.

Mesquite H.S. Library

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