Senior Social Studies

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Senior Social Studies Global
IssuesResearching for Results

• Created by
• Mr. Tuel, Librarian

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Key to This PowerPoint

• Goldenrod slides contain a research tool or
• helper.
• Underlined words - Important terms which may be
  new to you.
• You may proceed through this PowerPoint at your
  own pace, but do not skip any slides. They have
  all been designed to convey important information
  for your project.

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Research Process Review
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The Research ProcessStep 1a

• Choose a topic. For this assignment, remember
  that your topic must be issue-based, i.e., one
  that presents a problem or question for which you
  will find a solution or answer. Therefore, the
  products of your research (paper and
  presentation) will be argumentative or persuasive
  in nature.

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The Research ProcessStep 1b

• Write a minimum of five questions you want to
  answer about your topic through your research.
  Although they may change somewhat as you conduct
  your research, these questions will guide you
  through the process.

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Step 1 Example

• Topic The Iraq War
• Questions
• 1. Was there a connection between Iraq and 9/11?
• 2. Should the Iraq War be considered as part of
  the War on Terror?
• 3. What reasons did President Bush give for
  going to war in Iraq?
• 4. How much has the war cost to date in terms of
  lives and money?
• 5. What do our military personnel who have or
  are currently serving in
• this war say about it?
• 6. What do other nations think of the war?
  Should we care? Why or why not?
• 7. Is this war helping Iraq become a democracy?
• 8. Are we winning this war?

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The Research ProcessStep 2

• Start learning as much as you can about your
  topic from various sources books, periodicals,
  electronic resources, the Internet, documentary
  television shows and videos consult a minimum of
  five sources.
• If you find it helpful, complete an abstract form
  for each of your sources (example follows on the
  next slide). Mr. Tuel has the forms.

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• Mount Vernon High School Library Name___________
  ________
• Senior Social Studies Project -
  ABSTRACT Date____________________
• Works cited entry/bibliographic citation
  (remember, reverse indent)
• _________________________________________________
  ______________
• ________________________________________________
  ___________
• ________________________________________________
  ___________
• Type of source __Book (You need at least 2
  books.)
• (Total of 5 required) __Periodical article (All
  articles count as 1 source.)
• __Interview (At least 1 for the paper 2
  total.)
• __Internet (All Internet sources count as 1
  source.)
• __Other (Documentary, video, etc.)
• This source addresses the following content
  requirements
• __Political __Economic __Social __International
  __National __State/local __Historical __Statistics
  /facts __Antithesis (opposing viewpoint)
• What is your response to the information found in
  the article? (1-2 sentences)

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What is an abstract?

• An abstract is a brief summary of an information
  source (article, Web site, etc.).
• An abstract usually includes a works cited entry
  (bibliographic citation) for the source, a
  paragraph summarizing the main points of the
  source, and a paragraph of your response to the
  source.
• An abstract may also be called a précis.
• When you write abstracts for all of the sources
  listed on your Works Cited page, you have created
  an annotated bibliography.

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The Research Process Step 3

• Based upon your reading and thinking, focus your
  topic. It often helps to do this in the form of a
  question for example
• Topic The Iraq War
• Focus The Iraq WarShould We Stay?

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The Research ProcessStep 4

• Write a thesis statement. By way of review, a
  thesis statement is one to three sentences which
  states the conclusion to which you have come
  about your topic and which provides the direction
  for the entirety of your paper.
• Since this is an issue-based paper, your thesis
  will present your position on the topic you are
  researching and the point of view for which you
  will argue.
• If you had to condense your entire paper into a
  sentence or two, that would be your thesis.
• Since this is a problem/solution or
  question/answer paper, your thesis will present
  the solution to the problem or the answer to the
  key question.

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Step 4 Sample Thesis Statement

• While establishing democracy in the Middle
• East and bringing Saddam Hussein to justice
• were worthy goals, the pre-emptive war waged
• by the United States in Iraq has not
• accomplished the first goal and has been too
• costly in terms of lives and money to justify the
• second. Since the civil unrest in Iraq has now
• turned to civil war, it is time for the United
• States to withdraw from Iraq and bring our
• troops home in order to avoid even more
• violence and bloodshed.

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A note about thesample thesis

• As you have no doubt noticed, the thesis for an
  argumentative or persuasive paper will, more
  likely than not, be controversial.
• It is the writers job to explain why his or her
  opinion has merit and to try to convince the
  reader that his or her opinion is more valid than
  the oppositions. The opposing opinion is know as
  the antithesis, and the writer must consider,
  discuss, and try to defeat the antithesis in his
  or her paper.

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The Research ProcessStep 5

• Continue reading for more ideas and information
  about your topic.
• If you find them helpful, and/or if required by
  your teacher, complete the abstract forms (one
  per source).
• Take detailed notes as necessary on the larger
  index cards (4x6 or 5x9). See the next slide for
  a sample note card format.

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The Research ProcessSample Note Card

• Topic of note card
• INFORMATION Facts, statistics, etc.
• OR
• SUMMARY An article or chapter condensed to a few
  paragraphs
• OR
• PARAPHRASE The information is put in your own
  words but you follow the
• original source more closely than in a summary
• OR
• QUOTATION The exact words of the original author
• Author or title, page(s)
• Page(s) only if a print source

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About taking notes quotes . . .

• Teachers recommend using note cards because they
  help you keep track of what information came from
  where, which is essential to know in order to do
  parenthetical documentation (and be good
  scholars).
• Try to summarize and paraphrase as much as you
  can use direct quotations sparingly so they will
  not lose their punch and so you can avoid a paper
  that looks like a patchwork quilt blocks of
  quotations stitched loosely together.
• Rather, you should strive for your paper to
  resemble a weaving in which your ideas and those
  you borrow from others intertwine smoothly to
  produce a strong and unique piece of writing that
  can stand on its own
• merit.

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The Research ProcessStep 6

• As you finish your research and note-taking,
  revise your thesis statement if necessary.
• Some writers have even gone so far as to reverse
  their original stance on the issue once they have
  completed their research.

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The Research ProcessStep 7

• Sort your note cards into major and minor
  groupings and write an outline based upon these.
• Use the outline to help you identify gaps in your
  information do more research to fill in the
  gaps, if needed.
• The following slide lists the progression of a
  formal outline. You may also consult p. 276 of
  Writers INC for the basic format, but your
  outline should be more detailed. You may write a
  topical or sentence outline, but be as consistent
  as possible.

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Step 7 Outline Form

• I.
• A.
• B.
• 1.
• 2.
• a.
• b.
• i.
• ii.
• II.
• Etc.
• Remember If you break a topic down, logic
  demands that it be broken into at
• least two parts. Thus, if you have an A you must
  have a B, etc.

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The Research ProcessStep 8

• Write the first draft. Be sure to use
  parenthetical documentation for ANY INFORMATION
  THAT DOES NOT ORIGINATE WITH YOU. It is better to
  over-document than under-document.
• Careful documentation/citations will go a long
  way toward helping you prevent plagiarism, the
  use of someone elses information, ideas, and
  wording without giving them credit.

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What to document . . .

• Facts, statistics, and ideas taken from a source
• Your summary of a source or part of a source
• Your paraphrase of information from a source
• Direct quotations from a source
• Any information that does not originate with you!

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What NOT to document . . .

• Information considered general knowledge that
  most literate persons would know for example
• Yellow, blue, and red are primary colors.
• The U.S. has troops in Iraq.
• The U.S. is comprised of fifty states.
• Ideas, discussion, argument, and analysis that
  come from your own thinking.
• Any information that originates with you!

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Turnitin.com

• By now, most of you are familiar with
  Turnitin.com, an Internet-based service that
  helps students produce quality writing by
  checking their papers for plagiarism.
• Turnitin.com checks papers against Web pages,
  term papers sold for profit on the Internet, and
  papers submitted by other students in the U.S.
  and abroad (including MVHS!).
• Your social studies teacher will require you to
  submit your paper to Turnitin.com.

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Turnitin.coms Web site

• Visit the Turnitin.com home page at
• http//www.turnitin.com/static/index.php
• and explore the following links
• View Demo (upper right of Web page)
• plagiarismdotORG (bottom right)

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What is APA style?

• APA is short for American Psychological
  Association. This organization has set the rules
  that some teachers and professors will ask you to
  follow when writing a research paper or article
  for possible publication. This style is often
  used in psychology, education, and science
  courses and is sometimes referred to as the
  author-date system.
• Another style you probably know is MLA style
  (Modern Language Association). Most high school
  students are taught to use this style.

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The Research ProcessStep 9

• Ask several persons whom you trust to read your
  paper and offer suggestions for improvement.
• Be sure your readers understand the requirements
  of the paper.

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The Research ProcessStep 10

• Revise and edit your paper as necessary.
• Write the final draft.

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The Research ProcessOverview of the Ten Steps
STEP DESCRIPTION STEP DESCRIPTION
1 Choose a topic write 5 questions 6 Revise your thesis statement if necessary
2 Read a minimum of 5 sources complete abstracts 7 Organize your note cards and write an outline
3 Focus your topic 8 Write the first draft use parenthetical documentation
4 Write your thesis statement 9 Ask several persons to review your paper
5 Continue reading take detailed notes 10 Write the final draft, revising as necessary
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Using the Internet Responsibly

• Be careful about accepting information from the
  Internet at face value.
• Ask some key questions before choosing an
  Internet source for your project.
• See the Checklist for Evaluating Web Sites for
  help (the next slide).

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Checklist for Evaluating Websites
CHECKLIST FOR EVALUATING WEB SITES
Criteria Key Questions Rating (1-5)
    (1 low, 5 high)
1. Authority a. Who is the author, and what are his/her credentials?
b. Does the author include a biography or contact info.? Authority
  c. What organization is sponsoring the site?  
2. Purpose a. What is the stated purpose of the site?
b. Do you think there are any other purposes? Purpose
  c. Who is the intended audience?  
3. Scholarship a. Does the author support his/her assertions? How?
b. Does the author provide facts, examples, etc. from
quality sources?
c. Does the author cite his/her sources? Scholarship
  d. Are there working links to other, credible sites?  
4. Currency a. When was the site created or last updated? Currency
  b. Is the information as current as it needs to be?  
5. Objectivity a. Does the author present balanced information or is (s)he
biased? Objectivity
  b. Do you see a conflict of interest?  

TOTAL (If less than 20, find a better site!)  
SOURCES Based on Duke University's "Evaluating Web Pages" and Kathy Schrock's "Five W's of Web Site Evaluation" SOURCES Based on Duke University's "Evaluating Web Pages" and Kathy Schrock's "Five W's of Web Site Evaluation" SOURCES Based on Duke University's "Evaluating Web Pages" and Kathy Schrock's "Five W's of Web Site Evaluation"
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Using the Internet Efficiently

• As you may be aware, search engines (like Google)
  and electronic resources (like SIRS) have their
  own codes to increase the odds of conducting
  more efficient, fruitful searches.
• Check out SIRS at
• http//ars.sirs.com
• -- USER NAME sirsmvhs / PASSWORD jackets
• -- Click on SIRS Knowledge Source and then on
  Help (upper right corner of the page)

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Recommended Resources

• Books
• Social Issues Resource Series (SIRS)
• Issues Controversies
• INFOhio EBSCO
• During your research time in the library, take
  the time to search these sources (if you havent
  already) before heading for a general Internet
  search.

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MVHS Library Web Page

• You may use the librarys Web page to access the
  recommended resources
• http//www.mt-vernon.k12.oh.us/High_School/conten
  t_pages/library/
• The next few slides will discuss each resource in
  more detail and provide the direct link to each
  site (another route to the resources).

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Books

• Check the titles on the book cart. These books
  are to be used only in the library and will
  remain on the cart for reference.
• Search the online catalog (CAT) for your topic.
  Series titles to look for include Opposing
  Viewpoints, Current Controversies, At Issue,
  Point-Counterpoint, etc. The CAT is available
  from the librarys Web page under BOOKS or from
  the OPACs in the library.

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SIRS

• SIRS contains many types of sources articles
  from periodicals, government documents, Web
  sites, etc.
• SIRS is an especially good source for checking on
  the international perspective on your topic.
• Here is the direct link for SIRS
• http//ars.sirs.com
• - USER NAME sirsmvhs
• - PASSWORD jackets
• Go to SIRS and conduct a search on your topic or
  get some
• topic ideas.

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Issues Controversies

• Issues Controversies _at_ FACTS.com is a
  reference database that is also a classroom tool
  and home learning resource. It combines
  authoritative factual analysis, covering clear
  explanations of opposing points of view and
  numerous special features, so students and other
  users can quickly grasp the essentials of even
  the most complex topics (from Issues
  Controversies Help About This Database).
• Here is the direct link for the Issues
  Controversies database
• www.2facts.com
• - USER NAME issues
• - PASSWORD jackets
• Go to Issues Controversies and search for your
  topic or get some topic ideas.

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INFOhios EBSCOhost

• EBSCO includes magazine and newspaper articles
  and radio and TV news transcripts.
• Follow these steps to get to EBSCO
• 1. Go to www.infohio.org
• 2. Click on Core Collection (blue button)
• 3. Click on EBSCOhost (blue, green white
  button)
• 4. Click on Student Research Center 9-12
• (blue, green gold button)
• 5. Begin your search
• To use EBSCO at home, you will need the
  following
• - USER NAME learn
• - PASSWORD infohio

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Internet or print source?

• Students are sometimes confused about whether
  sources obtained through the Internet count as
  Internet or print sources.
• Use this rule of thumb If the source exists only
  as an Internet source (e.g., Web page, Weblog
  Blog, email), it counts as an Internet source.
  If the source originally existed in print,
  however, it is a print source even if it is
  obtained through the Internet (e.g., a published
  magazine article obtained through SIRS or EBSCO).
• If youre still confused, check with your teacher
  or Mr. Tuel.

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Good Luck!

• Although you may feel challenged by the senior
  project, it will go much more smoothly if you
  plan ahead and do not leave it until the last
  minute.
• Please let me know if I can help you along the
  way, but do keep in mind that I can better assist
  you if you schedule a time with me at least a
  couple of days in advance. If you wait until
  close to the due date, I may or may not be able
  to help youit will depend upon my schedule.
• Best wishes!