How to Research a Topic

How to Research a Topic

​Colvin 6th-8th

By the end of this lesson, we'll be able to:

• Understand what research writing is

• Research/explain a topic

Objective:

Open Ended

What do you think it means to research a topic? (Tip: You don't need a full paragraph here; a short blurb will be fine.)

Research Writing

Research writing involves answering a question.

Research writing is the process of sharing the answer to your research question. With research writing, you include:

• evidence on which your answer is based,

• the sources you used, and

• your own reasoning and explanation.

"I can conduct research to answer a question, drawing from many valid and credible sources."

Standard C.4.1

Standard & Vocab

​Vocabulary

• ​credible: able to be believed

• valid: having a sound basis in logic & fact

• relevant: connected or related to the topic

Multiple Choice

Something is credible if...,

• it's popular

• it's believable

• it's interesting

Multiple Choice

Something is relevant if...

• it's related to the topic

• it's more interesting than the topic

• It has been recently discussed in the media

Helpful Steps to Get Started

1. Find a topic (or use the one given to you)

2. Brainstorm (keywords, ideas, questions, etc.)

3. Find Good Sources (relevant, credible, & valid)

   1. Focus on educational websites, like for colleges or universities

   2. Avoid Wikipedia (more on that later)

   3. Make sure your information is up to date

The problem with Wikipedia is that it can be changed too easily by anybody. That makes research difficult.

NEVER USE WIKIPEDIA AS YOUR PRIMARY OR MAIN SOURCE!

That said, Wikipedia can be a good starting point. That means that you can use it to find other sources that are credible.

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About Wikipedia

Multiple Choice

Which would NOT be a good source for someone researching mythology?

• a wikipedia article on Greek mythology

• A University of Miami text from one of their colleges

• A mythology book from the library that was published in 2020

Multiple Choice

Which would be the best source for someone researching the origins of hip-hop?

• a Rolling Stone article on RUN-DMC written by a music critic

• a blog post from 1999 about Brittany Spears

• a book from the library about the BTS fandom

Match

Match the following words to their definitions

• Credible

• Relevant

• Valid

able to be believed

connected or related to the topic

having a sound basis in logic

• able to be believed

• connected or related to the topic

• having a sound basis in logic

​The purpose of research writing is to give an answer to a question. You must actually find the answer; they won't be given to you.

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Remember: