Information You Need to Know before You Start!:
In order for you to maximize your research effort and stay organized there are
two Information literacy models that you should follow when doing research.
The first model is called the Big 6 Information Literacy Model© and you
should become well acquainted with its steps as you will be using them to do
research all of your life, whether it is to decide what car to buy or writing a paper.
Let's look at the 6 steps. (Select the back button to return to this page.)
1. Task Definition A good way to get started! If you need to learn what
questions to ask Click Here.
2. Information Seeking Strategies Determine the range of possible
sources (brainstorm) and evaluate them.
3. Location & Access Locate resources and find your information in them.
You need to make a list of keywords for this step, here is an excellent graphic
organizer you can download and use.
4. Use of Information Engage the source (read it, listen to it, view it,
touch it!) and take out the relevant information
5. Synthesis Organize and present your information.
6. Evaluation Judge your product (how effective were you)!
When you get to step #2 and #3 of the Big 6, you need to use the
second Information Literacy Model we have. This is the COWS
Information Literacy Model.
Cows Information Literacy Model
When doing research remember the word "COWS" as it will help you in being
successful and organized in your search. Look for your resources in
this order.
C =
When doing research, always start with current reference books, textbooks
and non-fiction library books. Learn some basic information about your
subject and start a list of "keywords" you can use to gain more information
on your topic. Use the library's OPAC to check your resources.
O = 
Use these resources every day! Our online resources are: The Gale Group (Student Resource Center (SRC)--Gold, SRC--Health Module, Student Edition, Opposing Viewpoints,and Gale Virtual Reference Library).
Username: hunt45365
Password: HUNT45365
Encyclopædia Britannica Online: School Edition
Username: hbuhsd
Password: surfcity
World Geography Online
Username: vikings1
Password: govikings
and
Web Feet
Borrower's ID: hunt45365
These are password protected databases that you can access 24/7 from school or home. Get the URLs, usernames and passwords from the librarian. They work like a search engine but contain information that is not available for free on the World wide Web. College students use similar databases for their research projects.
W =  (Pre-selected web sites)
A webliography is similar to a bibliography only it's on the web. These are
web sites that have been selected by your teacher or Mrs. Bowen to assist
you with your project. Please go to your class web site to find the
webliography for your project. Or you can use Web Feet with your keywords to find pre-selected academic sites for your project.
And if all else fails--
S = 
Once you have learned about your subject by visiting all of the books, online programs, and web sites recommended by Mrs. Bowen and your teacher and you still need more information it is time to search the web. BEWARE! Search engines are not all created equal and you need to learn what types of information each will provide and how that information is presented. Take a few minutes and check out the following links. You will also need to know about the "invisible web" and how to access its information.
Introduction to Search Tools
To learn more about Search Tools, follow the links by
clicking on "Introduction to Search Tools."
and
Major Search Engines
What can search engines do for you and how can they help you
with your research. Read up on each of the major search
engines and how they find information for you. Click on
"Major Search Engines."
and
To learn more about Specialized Search Engines, follow the links by
clicking on "How to Find a Specialized Search Engine for Your Topic."
REMINDER!
Before you use any web site you will need to evaluate it's quality if
it is to be included as a source in a research paper. There are several
tools that you can use to evaluate these sites:
Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply & Questions to Ask
Web Site Evaluation
Now that you have looked at the steps you need to follow to do great
research, let's look at the research project you will be completing for
your teacher.
Goal: By the end of this project, the student will demonstrate 9 th grade
information literacy skills that exhibit an understanding of how to use and
evaluate library resources by successfully completing a research paper
based on comparative literature authors.
The Assignment: This is a 100-point assignment. Each student will select
one person from the list. No duplications. The paper is due: ______ For full
credit, your paper must include the following information about your author/poet:
1.Frontispiece: (This is a picture of your author/poet that appears as the first page of your report. It would be a good idea to include the author’s name and his/her date of birth and death on the frontispiece as well.)
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2. Obituary: (Obviously this is only if your author is dead. Do not be “funny” and make one up for a living author. You will lose points.) The librarian will show you what resources to use to find the obituaries. You may have to go to the public library for this information if you cannot find it in the school library.
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3. Paper: Your paper (4 to 6 pages of typed text, not including the frontispiece, obituary and bibliography) should address or answer the following questions about your author or poet: |
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a. Where and when was s/he born? |
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b. How did his/her life influence the type of literature that s/he wrote? (This could be childhood and/or adult life. For example did they have a happy life?) |
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c. What type of literature did your author write? What is the genre (mystery, western, science fiction, historical fiction, et cetera)? |
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d. What is the single work of literature that s/he is most known for? |
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e. Did your author win any awards for his/her writing? If so when and what kind? |
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f. How did his/her work influence other authors/poets? |
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h. How did your author or poet die? In some cases what events lead to his/her death? Was his/her death from natural causes or something else? |
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i. Include any additional information or interesting facts that you have learned about your author/poet.
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4. Works Cited (Bibliography): This should have at least TEN different sources from various forms of reference material (i.e., books, online resources, Internet)
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5. Quotations: Must contain five quotations from you bibliographical sources. The quotations should back-up the information you are providing about your author/poet. These are integrated into the body of your paper. Do not put them on a separate sheet.
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6. Paper format must be in MLA style for the quotations, bibliography, et cetera. (See “Library Orientation” page for examples.)
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