Never before in history has there been so much information available for research. Knowing how to access, evaluate, and analyze materials available in your school’s library or media center is a key skill.

Your teacher may assign one of the Internet projects that relate directly to your History Alive! book. If so, your teacher will identify excellent Web sites that you can trust to complete the assignment. Similarly, your teacher may want you to search the Internet for more information about a specific topic. Your teacher might have you begin your search at www.historyalive.com. There you will find a few carefully selected Web sites to assist in your research.

Your teacher might also decide to give you an open-ended research project. In this kind of project, you’ll need to find information yourself. Here are some ideas to help you navigate the resources that are available to you.

Research Steps

1. Carefully review the assignment and define your research topic. Your teacher may assign a topic or allow you to pick one. The important thing at the start of your research is to know exactly what you’re expected to do. Don’t go to the library or media center without the project requirements. They are your guide.

In selecting topics, you may want to begin by browsing in general works like a textbook or encyclopedia. These sources will help you identify topics for which a lot of information is available.

2. Identify many possible sources. Spend some time browsing in the card catalogue (or database) or looking over the library’s shelves to identify books that might be helpful. Remember that you may find your topic in books about a broader subject. For example, suppose you’re researching the Battle of Gettysburg. Looking only for whole books about Gettysburg would limit your sources. That one battle is certain to be discussed in books that cover the Civil War in general. For more current topics, look at the Guide to Periodical Literature. This reference work will help you find recent magazines and newspaper articles. Using the Internet will also help in your search. Bookmark the most promising sites to refer back to.

3. Identify the best sources. Once you’ve listed possible sources, select those that will best help with your research task. Keep in mind how much time you have to complete the project. Some sources will require you to spend much more time gathering the information you need. Use newer books and articles when possible. Generally, newer sources are more likely than older ones to reflect current research. Of course, this does not apply to primary sources (sources from the period you are studying).

4. Gather information from your sources. Once you have identified your sources, it is time to compile the information you need. You may decide to take notes on note cards or binder paper. However you decide to do it, be sure to go back to the project requirements as you gather information. Think of these two questions: (1) Which pieces of information will help you complete the research task? (2) What is the best way to organize the information? Also write down bibliography information as you research. That will save time and confusion at the end of your project.

5. Create the product. Sometimes you may have to write a paper. At other times, you may be required to produce a poster, computer presentation, oral report, or other assignment. In all cases, keep in mind who your audience is. Strive to create a product that meets the needs of the audience. Here’s a helpful hint: if something is interesting for you to write or create, it is more likely to be interesting to your audience. If you are bored, your audience will be too. Adding visuals such as pictures, graphs, maps, timelines, and artifacts will add interest to your presentation.

6. Reflect on what you have done. When your project is complete, stop and reflect. What did you learn about researching a topic and presenting the results? What went well? How would you tackle the same task in the future? What would you do differently?

Ideas About Sources

Library Books
1. Search for books in the card catalogue or on a computer terminal at your library. Either way, your search is the same. Search by author, subject, or title.

2. Write down the call letters for books you want to find.

3. Besides doing a targeted search, browse the library’s collection of books about history. Ask the librarian where to find the history section. Sometimes browsing can go faster than looking up titles in the card catalogue. This is because books on similar topics in history are often placed side by side on the library shelves. If the library uses the Dewey decimal system, history topics are in the 900 section.

4. When citing a book in a bibliography, follow the order and example below:

•	author
•	title of book
•	city of publication
•	publisher’s name
•	year of publication

Example: Arburn, Michael. Learning History: An Adventure Worth Taking. New York: Random House, 2004.

Newspapers and Periodicals
1. Use newspapers and periodicals to study current events such as a recent Supreme Court decision.

2. Ask your librarian if your library subscribes to a Web-based article subscription service. If so, the service can link you to thousands of articles from a wide variety of well-respected magazines and periodicals.

3. If your library subscribes to magazines or newspapers, search the Guide to Periodical Literature. Ask your librarian where to find this resource. The Guide is arranged alphabetically by topic, so it is very easy to use.

4. When citing an article in a bibliography, follow the order and example below:

•	author
•	article title
•	magazine or newspaper
•	date of publication
•	page numbers of the article

Example: Adams, Steve. “Finding a Great Hotel in Paris.” Travel Magazine, July 2003: 38–42.

Internet Resources

The Internet is an amazing research tool. There are millions of Web sites to visit. However, not all Web sites are created equal. Anybody can create a Web site and post information on it. Some sites are reliable. Others are not. Here are some ideas on picking the best sites.

In evaluating Web sites, think about three questions:

1. Is the information from a reliable source?

•	Ideally, you are looking for information from an expert source. An expert source is an authority on the subject you are researching.
•	Web sites that end in .edu are related to a school or college. Information on such sites can be very reliable, since it is often created by researchers or scholars. On the other hand, schools may allow or encourage all students to post information on a school-related Web site. Such material may or may not be accurate. Try to identify the qualifications of the author before you use the information. For example, a history professor is likely to be a better source than a student or someone with unknown qualifications.
•	Web sites that end in .gov are related to government bodies. The information found on these sites can be some of the most reliable on the Internet.

2. Is the information biased?

•	A source is biased if the author has a certain opinion or prejudice that he or she wants to promote. In looking at Web sites, it is very important to develop strong antennas to detect bias. On some Web sites, facts are far less important than the author’s or group’s opinion.
•	Social scientists call research that is free of bias “objective.” For most research projects, you will want to find objective information. No writing is completely free of bias, but you should always be aware of possible biases. If the author is careful to separate opinion from facts, your job is easier. Be on the lookout for opinions that are disguised as facts.
•	Ask yourself what person or organization prepared the information. Why did they post it on the Internet? What is their purpose? Are they trying to convince you of something?

3. Is the information accurate?

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To find this out, ask yourself these questions: (1) Is the information repeated on other sites or in other sources you are using? Is the information based on recent research, or is it old and possibly outdated? Does the writer reveal where he or she got the information? (Those who do not reveal their sources may not want their sources checked. This can be a sign of bad scholarship.) For ways to write bibliographic citations for Web sites, visit www.noodletools.com. There you will find ways to cite online newspaper and magazine articles, personal Web pages, professional Web pages, and just about any source you can imagine.