RESEARCH CHECKLIST

Use the steps below to guide you

through the research process.

Name
Topic

1.

Write 5 researchable
questions about your topic.

2.

TEACHER CHECKPOINT

3.

Read and take notes from an

encyclopedia article on your
topic. Write the notes on the
appropriate question card.

4.

Bibliographic citation.

5.

TEACHER CHECKPOINT

6.

Brainstorm synonyms and

related terms for your topic.

7.

Use the OPAC to locate books

on your topic

8.

Take notes from at least two

book sources.

9.

Bibliographic citations.

10.

TEACHER CHECKPOINT

11.

Use Digital Databases to locate

newspaper & magazine articles
on your topic.

12.

Print out any articles that help

answer your 5 questions.

13.

Take notes.

14.

Bibliographic citations.

15.

TEACHER CHECKPOINT

16.

Use relevant web sites to locate

information on your topic.

17.

Take notes.

18.

Bibliographic citations

19.

Look over all your notes.

Did you answer your 5
questions completely? Did
you stick to the theme? Have
you used primary sources
for information?

20.

Organizing your notes before

writing the rough draft copy.

Block

Student
Research
Guide
Winning Research Projects!

Producing
Evaluating
Synthesizing

Sorting
Gathering
Planning
Questioning

ANALYZE THE ASSIGNMENT

Describe the assignment.

Consider TAPF
T
TOPIC
A
AUDIENCE
P
PURPOSE
F
FORMAT
Is this a group project?
Yes
No
If yes, what is each members responsibility?

What are the checkpoints for this project?

Date

What is due?

The final project is due:

What must be turned in with the final project?
Note Cards/Graphic Organizer
Bibliography

Rough draft
Printouts of Internet resources

BRAINSTORM
What do I already know
about this topic?

What are some related topics

I could research?

Page 1

STEP 1 QUESTIONING
DEVELOP QUESTIONS

Research questions must go beyond the Who? What? When? & Where? level. Research
questions need to address issues, trends, impact consequences and beyond. Use the Question
Creator below to begin to develop your questions. Remember questions can be modified later if
needed.

Why

would

impact

can

trend

is

Who

consequences

Which
How
What

did

value

will

might

effect(s)

influence

cause(s)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

What is my thesis question?

Page 2

STEP 2 PLANNING
PLANNING
Circle the keywords in your research questions. List them below with synonyms that may help
you locate information if you are not successful with the keywords. Use a thesaurus if
necessary.

KEYWORDS

SYNONYMS

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

SELECT PRINT RESOURCES

Brainstorm which resources might have information on my topic?
Check off the resources you think will have the information that you need and explain your reasoning.
Encyclopedias
Non-fiction books

Magazine and newspaper articles

People / Places / Artifacts

Page 3

STEP 2 PLANNING (CONT.)

Circle the keywords in your research questions. List them below with synonyms that may help you locate
information if you are not successful with the keywords. Use a thesaurus if necessary.

KEYWORDS

SYNONYMS

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

SELECT DIGITAL RESOURCES

Brainstorm which resources might have information on my topic?
Check off the resources you think will have the information that you need and explain your reasoning
Destiny (OPAC) Catalog
Reserved materials in the library
A school focused webpage

Database
Gale Group
ABC Clio
World Book Online

Gale Databases Online

World Book Online
Search Engines (eg. Google)

At Home Database Info

Username
ebooks and Gale Virtual
Reference Library
westcisd
coppellhome

Password
lonestar
cowboy
worldbook

Link to all databases from the CMS West library page off the West website (under Academics).

Page 4

STEP 3 - GATHERING
CHECK FOR RELEVANCY
Check for Relevancy Does the information answer my question or does it give me
important new information to add to my questions?
Check for Authority Do I recognize the author? Where are the authors qualifications to
provide this information? What organization, company, government or university supports
this information?
Check for Currency Is this information up to date?
Check for Objectivity Does the information inform, persuade, or both?

USE SEARCH STRATEGIES

To help you search for facts to answer your questions use . . .
Table of Contents
Subject search strategies
Indexes
Keyword search strategies
Boolean search strategies

Skimming
Scanning

RECORD SOURCES
Use the Standard Bibliography Form to record the necessary information for your bibliography.
(See the following page for the proper format.)

RECORD INFORMATION
Use the note cards or graphic organizer required by your teacher. Dont forget to include
the resource where the information was found on each card. For example, (S1) means the
fact was found in source number 1. Your teacher will check the bibliography card for
details on the source.

Write one research question on the top of each note card.

Fact

that answers the question above

Fact that answers the question above
Fact that answers the question above
Fact that answers the question above
Fact that answers the question above

Page 5

(S1) = source #1
(S1)
(S2)
(S3)
(S5)

STEP 4 - SORTING
ORGANIZE NOTE CARDS
Here are some tips to help you organize your information:
1. Lay out all of your note cards on a table. Separate them so you have your note cards in one pile and your
bibliography card or source card in another pile.
2. Group together note cards by topic or related questions.
3. Read your cards critically. Do you have enough information to write a well-supported paragraph for
each category? Do you have enough details? Examples?
4. Put your cards in the order you plan to use them in your paper.

OR

CREATE A CONCEPT MAP

Using the information that you have gathered, begin sorting out your ideas by creating a concept map. Feel free
to add headings and subheadings if you need them.

Subheading

Subheading

Subheading

Subheading

Subheading
Heading

Subheading

Topic

Heading

Subheading

Subheading

Heading

Heading

Subheading

Subheading

Heading
Subheading
Subheading
Subheading

Subheading

Page 6

Subheading

STEPS 5 & 6 - SYNTHESIZING AND EVALUATING

PUT THE PUZZLE TOGETHER
"As you combine your notes, does all the information come together to answer your questions and make sense?
If not, what should you do next? Ask yourself these questions:
Have I answered all my questions thoroughly?
Do I need to throw away what is repetitive or not useful?
Do I need to ask new questions?
Should I rearrange the information for clarity?
After evaluating your information you may decide that you need to go back to find more information. Now is
the time to do it. You will need to return to Step Two: Planning or Step Three: Gathering.
Putting your information into outline form can help you to see the patterns and logic of your presentation. (See
the sample below)

Research /Thesis Question:

Heading 1
Subheading a)
Subheading b)
Subheading c)
Heading 2
Subheading a)
Subheading b)
Subheading c)
Heading 3
Subheading a)
Subheading b)
Subheading c)
Heading 4
Subheading a)
Subheading b)
Subheading c)

Page 7

STEPS 5 & 6 - SYNTHESIZING AND EVALUATING

SELF-ASSESSMENT
Questioning:
I have developed questions that helped me to
answer my main research/thesis question.

Y/N

Planning:
I have selected sufficient keywords and synonyms.
I have identified resources relevant to my questions.

Y/N
Y/N

Gathering:
I have recorded bibliographic information correctly.
I have used note cards or a graphic organizer to record
my information.

Y/N
Y/N

Sorting:
I have organized my information under appropriate
headings and subheadings.

Y/N

Synthesizing:
I have enough information be thorough.
I have organized the information in a logical way.

Y/N
Y/N

Product: (To be answered after the product is finished)

I have use correct grammar, spelling, and vocabulary.
I have produced a presentation showing originality.
I have completed the task requirements.

Y/N
Y/N
Y/N

Page 8

STEP 7 - PRODUCING
CHOOSE A PRODUCT
When choosing the form of your presentation consider
Audience
Purpose to inform, persuade, entertain, explain, or a combination of these
Equipment, materials, and space available
Time necessary to complete

WRITTEN FORMS OF PRESENTATION

NARRATIVE: stories, essays, character portrait, script, story endings, first person
narrative
EXPOSITORY: research report, magazine article, newspaper article, book, biography,
business letter
PERSONAL: personal letter, journal, diary, log, autobiography, resume
PERSUASIVE: editorial, advertisement, letter to the editor, proposal
GUIDELINES: rules, instructions

NON-WRITTEN FORMS OF PRESENTATION

TECHNOLOGY: multimedia presentation, slide show, newscast, computer graphic,
video, audiotape, commercial, filmstrip
DRAMATIC: role play, tableau, play, dramatization, skit
THREE-DIMENSIONAL: sculpture, construction, display, diorama, collage,
collection, scrapbook, game, model
VISUAL: drawing, cartoon, diagram, painting, poster, photograph, postcard, map, design
VERBAL: interview, speech, debate, discussion, oral presentation, poetry reading, teach
a lesson, dialogue, song, Readers Theater, rap
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER: concept map, storyboard, outline, T-chart, KWL chart, venn
diagram, note taking, chart, timeline, graph, data table,
grid/matrices

Page 9

Remember to put citations in alphabetical order

indent the second line
spell out the names of the month

Standard Bibliography Form

Middle School

If there is no author given, skip Last name, First and proceed with
all other information in order.

for a book citation

Last Name, First. Title of Book. City: Publisher, copyright date.
example:

for a computer software or CD citation

Title of Software. Computer Software. Publisher, copyright date.
Type of computer, format.

Smith, John G. Mammals. New York: MacMillan Inc., 1998.

for a magazine citation
Last Name, First. "Title of Article." Name of Magazine, vol
(date of magazine), pages.
example:
Roberts, Susan. "Animal Rescue." Science Digest, 13
(December 1999), 32.

example:

The Animals. Computer Software. Broderbund, 1996.

MacIntosh, CD.
for a personal interview citation
Interviewee's last, first name. Personal Interview. date of interview.

for a magazine citation - online

Last Name, First. "Title of Article. " Name of Magazine, vol
(date of magazine), pages. [Online] Provider.

example:

Goodall, Jane. Personal Interview. February 5, 2000

example:

Roberts, Susan. "Animal Rescue." Science Digest, 13

(December 1999), 32. [Online] Proquest.

for an e-mail citation

Author of e-mail message, Subject of Message. [Online]
Available e-mail: name@domain name, date of message.

for an encyclopedia citation

Last Name, First. "Title of Article." Name of Encyclopedia, year ed.

example:

example:

Biggs, William. "Elephant." World Book Encyclopedia, 1998 ed.

Webb, Robert. Ocelot. [Online] Available e-mail:

rwebb@ccps.org, January 12, 2000.

an encyclopedia citation online

Last Name, First. "Title of Article." Name of Encyclopedia,
year ed [Online].
example:
Biggs, William. "Elephant." World Book Encyclopedia, 1998 ed [Online].

for a video cassette citation

Name of Program. Videocassette. By authors name.
Dir. directors name. Network, copyright date.
example:

Incredible Human Machine. Videocassette. By John W. Harris.

Dir. Glen Pl Wilde. PBS, 2000.

for a World Wide Web citation

Last Name, First. Title of Site. [Online] Available
http://internet address, date you visited site.

for a television program citation

Title of Episode. Prod. producers name. Dir.
directors name. Program. Network, date of air.
example:
The Werewolf of Fever Swamp. Prod. J. R. Tielle. Dir. M. Norris.
Goosebumps. FOX, June 17, 2000.

example:

Adams, Elva A. The Cheetah Spot. [Online] Available

http:www.neocomm.net/~eadams/cheetah.thml, April 20, 2000.

Page 10