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Keith Valley Middle School Library: Research Refresher

Start your assignments in your school library with these great resources!

Guided Inquiry Design Process

Open: Ask questions and be curious.
Immerse: Build background knowledge and discover interesting ideas.
Explore: Explore interesting ideas by digging into information.
Identify: Pause and ponder; identify an inquiry question to research and decide on your direction.
Gather: Gather important information. Go broad and deep.
Create: Reflect on what you've learned; go beyond the facts to make meaning for yourself; create and communicate what you've learned for others.
Share: Learn from each other by sharing what you've learned. Tell your story.
Evaluate: Did you successfully answer your inquiry question? Reflect on the content of your research and the process.

 

Information Timeline

Information changes over time!

The usefulness of information resources depends on your information need and can be affected by when you search.

If you want to find out about an event that just happened, where can you find up-to-the-moment information?

The "Information Timeline" illustrates how information changes over time.

Google Search Tricks

 

  • Use quotation marks to search for exact phrases.
  • Start with simple keywords and then add more complicated keywords.
  • Remove unhelpful words to remove irrelevant information from your search results.
  • Use the tricks in the handout below.

SIFT Method (Evaluating Information)

Evaluating information is not easy, especially as information sources are changing.

Use SIFT to help you remember habits for evaluating information:

     Stop
     Investigate the source
     Find other coverage
     Trace claims, quotes, media to the original context

Search for Books

Search Engine

Website Credibility Checklist

Use this checklist to help you decide if you can trust a website for your assignment.

Online Reference Links

MyBib Citations