Background Research

How to do science research

How to Research Scientific Questions

• In order to make decisions or design experiments, you have to have relevant and reliable background information​

  • Relevant = Relating to the question

  • Reliable = Comes from a trustworthy source

What are good reliable sources?

• Published non-fiction books

• Websites:

  • Site that end in: .gov, .org, .edu for reliable information

  • Science journals like JAMA, Nature, New England Journal of Medicine

  • News sites: New York Times, Washington Post, ABC, CBS, CNN

• Articles:

  • PRIMARY Source: written by the team that did the experiment. Tends to be very technical

  • SECONDARY Source: Written by someone who read the primary article. Tends to be easier to understand

Explainer: How AI helps combat climate change | UN News

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Multiple Choice

Is the Article a Primary or Secondary source?

• Both

• Primary

• Secondary

Multiple Choice

Is the article from a reliable source?

• Yes

• No

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Multiple Choice

Primary or Secondary?

• Primary

• Secondary

Poll

Is this a reliable source?

• Yes

• No

• I can't tell

Open Ended

How can you tell?

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Multiple Choice

Primary or Secondary?

• Primary

• Secondary

Multiple Choice

Could you use it as a source?

• Yes because it is a .gov

• Yes because it is a .org

• Yes because is a .edu

• Yes because it is news site

• No

Internet Search Tips

• Create a Doc with all the sites you visit and find helpful.

• Copy and paste the URLs in the Doc.

• This list will be the beginning of your bibliography

​Write Sites Down

• Use these for background information.

• For YouTube, watch videos with sources in the caption.

• These WON'T be used as sources

• You CAN use the references you find as sources.

​Wikipedia, YouTube

Internet Search Tips

• Kahn academy for understanding science principles (Air pressure, chemical reactions, gravity, ect.)

• Google Scholar for Primary articles.

• How Stuff Works

Helpful Sites

Poll

Can you use this as a source?

• Yes

• No

• I don't know

Multiple Choice

Is this reliable?

• Yes

• No

• No, but the link to NASA is

• Yes, but only the People also ask responses