How are you going to research?
Below is a checklist that might help you when preparing to research.
1. Understand what it is that you are
being asked to write about. If you are not sure, ask your teacher
or an adult to explain the task to you again.
2. Brainstorm on a sheet of paper what
you will be writing about. You might like to brainstorm with a
friend, or alone.
3. Begin to search for the information
that you will need to refer to in your research. Use the index
and glossaries in books, a web search, a list of useful
websites, or a local or school library to find relevant materials.
4. Set yourself a time schedule for
when you are going to work and rest. It is also a good idea to
set yourself a completion date (a deadline) for the research.
If you are doing this work in school your teacher may set
a schedule for research time.
5. Think about some key questions that
you would like to find the answers to by the time you have completed
the task. Jot down the key questions.
6. Begin to make outline notes from
the materials you have collected.
7. Focus in on your key questions and
look for information that will help you to answer them. If you
try to write about everything you have read about you will have
too much information, and not enough detail.
8. Think about the audience for your
work, and write a rough draft of your research:
9. Look through your draft and begin to edit it:
10. Publish your work, either on paper or electronically.