Use this simple Q&A to help determine what sources to begin with for more traditional research questions:
Q: How much do you know about the topic?
A: I know almost nothing, not even the major people/places/dates or basic keywords.
Start with REFERENCE sources.
Reference sources contain basic facts without discernable bias or thesis. Entries are usually short. Use reference sources to generate a list of search terms.
A: I know a little, from class and from the textbook, plus I read the Wikipedia article.
You want NONFICTION books or articles. Nonfiction sources may be biased, but will broaden your understanding of the topic.
A: I know a lot about my topic, but I need to get more details, formulate my thesis, and get up-to-the-minute information.
PERIODICAL DATABASES are your friend. You will find news, magazine, and scholarly articles that may include a specific perspective and possibly more details than many of the books you have consulted.
credit: Karyn Silverman, LREI
Already have a NY Times account but now it says you've run out of free articles? You need to renew your subscription!
Just go to NYTimes.com/passes. The system will send automatically send you an email to confirm your account. Go to your email and click confirm, then select your graduation year and click sign up. You're back in business!
If you're going to use a search engine, you'll get better results if you follow these tips:
How to be a Google Power User
(click to expand)
credit: whoishostingthis.com
The Town School Library has an array of databases, encyclopedias, and digital resources for you to use 24/7. You can find a list of resources under Library Online on the Library page on TownToday.
Here are a few databases of particular interest for 8th grade research:
