Research Skills

Open Ended

Based on your prior knowledge, what are the key characteristics of reliable resources for your research papers?

Multiple Choice

Which of these options do you think is probably NOT a reputable/credible organization?

• a blog written by someone who says they are an expert

• a website from a college or university

• a government archive or database

• a scholarly research foundation

Multiple Select

Why do you think it is important to see if a website lists their references, which is also known as citing their sources?

• It shows that they care about giving credit to the original researchers/writers

• It shows that they can back up the claims their website it making with evidence

• It shows that they did not just make up this information

• It shows that the information they are providing is more than just their own opinion

Poll

Which of these website URL endings do you think are usually the best sources for research? Choose all that you think!

• .gov

• .mil

• .edu

• .org

• .int

Multiple Choice

Which research website can you tell right away is the better, more updated source? Be prepared to explain why!

FUN FACT!

GOOGLE has a research website called Google Scholar that has a huge collection of articles, journals, etc. from reputable sources! It is great for doing research in any subject!

THIS IS NOT A CREDIBLE SOURCE

While Wikipedia may look like a reputable website (it even has a .org ending), it is NOT! Wikipedia information can be created by anyone, and many people go on there just to post false information because they think it is funny or because they think it is correct, but it is not. Wikipedia tries to monitor this information, but things can get missed! Since you should only be using sources that are written by scholars, and since not everyone who posts on this website is a scholar, it is not a credible source!

Open Ended

What things can you do to ensure that your research paper has the right format and as well as correct resources to support the evidence?

Consequences of Plagiarism...

• Middle School: F on the assignment, Detention and/or Suspension

• High School: F on the assignment, Detention and/or Suspension, mark on Permanent Record that can be seen by employers and colleges

• College/University: Expulsion, Potential Fine/Lawsuit

• Career: Termination, Lawsuit, Fine, and even Jail in some cases