RESEARCH SKILLS
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
RCSHS
KAY M. HEDRICK
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STEP ONE: DEFINING THE TASK
Step 1 - Task Definition
1.1 Define the problem
1.2 Identify the information requirements of the problem
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STEP ONE: DEFINING THE TASK
ASK THESE QUESTIONS:
1. What do I have to find out?
2. What information do I need to start the
task/assignment?
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STEP ONE: DEFINING THE TASK
What do I have to find out?
1. What kind of final product are you expected
to present to the teacher?
• Is it a written report?
• An oral presentation?
• A poster?
• Or something else?
2. Does it have to be a certain length, size, or
duration of time?
• Do you have any freedom of choice in how to
present what you will learn?
3. What is the topic of the assignment?
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• Does your teacher give you the specific topic
(subject) of your assignment?
• Do you have any freedom to select a topic for
yourself?
• Do you have to create a thesis statement (take a
position, make an argument)?
• Did the teacher give you a very general topic that
| www.carecounseling.comyou have to focus to a smaller topic?
STEP ONE: DEFINING THE TASK
What do I have to find out?
Topic Requirements/Considerations for Oral
Comm:
a. Must be related to your career path, if at all
possible
b. Should be unique
c. Should be interesting to an audience
d. Must be significant to today
e. Is there enough research to talk about it?
Topic Idea Generator
4. What is the due date for your final product?
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• Are there any parts of the assignment due before
the final due date (like a rough draft, notes, outline,
etc.)?
Helpful Hint: Get an assignment calendar and write
any due dates in it. This will help you plan your time
to get the assignment done by the due date. Most
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teachers will take off points from your grade for late
STEP ONE: DEFINING THE TASK
What information do I need to start the
task?
1. What are the key words or key phrases I
can use to get the information I need?
•
How many different ways are there to say your
topic ?
•Are there any related ideas that you could look up
also?
2. What questions do I want to answer?
• Brainstorm a list of questions before you begin to
look for information.
• Those questions will give you more key words and
key phrases to use in your search.3. What kinds of
information will I be searching for?
• Do you need descriptions, maps, pictures, statistics,
biographical information, etc.?4. How am I required
to cite the resources I will use? (give them credit)
• Do you have to make a formal bibliography
or "works cited" list? If not, what information are you
required to give about the resources you use?
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STEP TWO: INFORMATION SEEKING
STRATEGIES
2.1 Determine the range of possible sources
2.2 Evaluate the different possible sources to determine
priorities
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STEP TWO: INFORMATION SEEKING
STRATEGIES
ASK THESE QUESTIONS:
1. What sources can I use?
2. What sources are best for me to use?
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STEP TWO: INFORMATION SEEKING
STRATEGIES
2.1 Determine the range of possible sources
2.2 Evaluate the different possible sources to determine
priorities
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STEP TWO: INFORMATION SEEKING
STRATEGIES
What sources can I use?
1. What are all the sources I could use to get
the information I need, if I had unlimited time
and money?
• Make a wish list. Let your imagination go free when
you brainstorm. Good ideas you would never
think of otherwise may come up.
See Tip Sheet : Make a List of Possible
Sources for ideas.
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STEP TWO: INFORMATION SEEKING
STRATEGIES
What sources are best for me to use?
1. What sources on my wish list are the best
and most possible for me to use for this
assignment?
• Check off the sources on your list that are possible
for you to use, given your time and money.
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STEP TWO: INFORMATION SEEKING
STRATEGIES
What sources are best for me to use?
1. What sources on my wish list are the best
and most possible for me to use for this
assignment?
• Check off the sources on your list that are possible
for you to use, given your time and money.
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STEP THREE: LOCATION AND ACCESS
3.1 Locate sources
3.2 Find information within the sources
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STEP THREE: LOCATION AND ACCESS
ASK THESE QUESTIONS:
1. Where do I go to find the sources I want
to use?
2. How do I find what I need in these
places?
3. Who can help me if I don't know how to
use the online catalog or find what I
need?
4. How do I find the information I need
within the sources?
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STEP THREE: LOCATION AND ACCESS
Where do I go to find the sources I want to
use?
The library at RCSHS has a wide variety of sources in
print and electronic format. It is open before and after
school most days. Ask at the library for the current
hours.
The Rowan County Public Library is located at 175
Beacon Hill Road. If you don't have a library card to
borrow books from there, go to their front desk with
some proof of your name and address and say you
would like to get a library card. There's no charge for
a card or to borrow books and other sources.
The MSU Camden Carroll Library is also a great
resource on MSU’s campus.
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Organize your time so you use all the sources in one
place together, so you don't have to keep going back
to a place again.
Write the location next to each source in your list, if
you know it. Ask a librarian or your teacher, if you're
| www.carecounseling.comnot sure.
STEP THREE: LOCATION AND ACCESS
How do I find what I need in these places?
You need to use an online catalog in the library to find
what you need. All three libraries have online catalogs
that you can search from this computer by clicking on
these links.
These are located on Ms. H’s teacher page.
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STEP THREE: LOCATION AND ACCESS
Who can help me if I don't know how to use
the online catalog or find what I need?
Any librarian or library assistant will be happy to
help you. Just ask them.
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STEP THREE: LOCATION AND ACCESS
How do I find the information I need within
the sources?
1. How is the information in the source
organized?
Helpful Hint: Every source has its own system of
organization. Check out the way each one is
organized when you start using it. Look for the
index and table of contents. Get help if you need
it. After a while, you will learn how to use a wide
variety of sources.
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•Is it in alphabetical order like a dictionary or
encyclopedia?
• Or is there an index or table of contents you
can use to find the pages you need?
•Is it an electronic source like a cd-rom on the
computer where you use a search screen?
•Or are you using the Internet and have to find
a search engine or know the URL (address) of
| www.carecounseling.comthe site.
STEP THREE: LOCATION AND ACCESS
How do I find the information I need within
the sources?
2. How will I know what to look for in the
sources?
Go back to your list of key words and key
phrases. These are the words you will use to
look up information in the sources.
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STEP FOUR: USE OF INFORMATION
4.1 Engage (read, hear, view, touch) the information in
the source
4.3 Extract information from a source
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STEP FOUR: USE OF INFORMATION
ASK THESE QUESTIONS:
1. What information does the source give
me?
2. Can I understand the information?
3. What information can I use?
4. How will I get the information out of the
source?
5. Does the information give me any other
key words or phrases that I can use to
lead me to other information?
6. Am I ready to start putting a draft of my
project together?
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STEP FOUR: USE OF INFORMATION
What information does the source give me?
1. Is the information in-depth enough for me?
Or is it too superficial (simple)?
Does the information give you answers to your
questions?
Does the information give you new ideas, or
lead you to other sources?
Is the information given in the types of
formats you need (maps, dates, graphics,
etc.)?
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STEP FOUR: USE OF INFORMATION
Can I understand the information?
• Is it in a language you can understand?
• Is it too scientific or technical?
• Does it use too much specialized language
that you don't understand?
If the language is not right for you, look for the
same information in other sources.
If you cannot find any, ask a librarian to help
you. There is always information available for
both experts and non- experts in most topics.
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STEP FOUR: USE OF INFORMATION
What information can I use?
This is a good time to go back and recheck your task,
your specific assignment. Then compare your
assignment against the information you have found.
Answer the following questions:
1. Does the information included in the source
help me complete my task?
• If it does, then you will be able to start
"extracting" the information.
• If it does not, you will need to look for
information in other sources.
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STEP FOUR: USE OF INFORMATION
What information can I use?
This is a good time to go back and recheck your task,
your specific assignment. Then compare your
assignment against the information you have found.
Answer the following questions:
2. Does the information in the source give me
additional ideas that make me want to change
my original thesis?
• If you find that there is much too much
information on your topic, you may want to
narrow down your topic.
• If you are not finding enough material on your
topic, you will want to go through the same
process to broaden your topic (make it larger to
include more material).
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STEP FOUR: USE OF INFORMATION
What information can I use?
This is a good time to go back and recheck your task,
your specific assignment. Then compare your
assignment against the information you have found.
Answer the following questions:
2. Does the information in the source give me
additional ideas that make me want to change
my original thesis?
• If you find that there is much too much
information on your topic, you may want to
narrow down your topic.
• If you are not finding enough material on your
topic, you will want to go through the same
process to broaden your topic (make it larger to
include more material).
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STEP FOUR: USE OF INFORMATION
How will I get the information out of the
source?
There are a number of ways to extract information out
of a source, depending on the type of source and the
equipment available to you. Here are some ways to
do it:
• Note-taking
• Photocopying
• Printing (from a computer source)
• Videotaping
• Tape recording
• Interviewing (and note taking or tape-recording)
• Photographing
• Scanning (requires a scanning device)
• Drawing or sketching
Warning!!
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You must give credit to the source of any information you use
directly or paraphrase. This is called citing your sources. If you use in your
final product any data, sentences, paragraphs, sounds, or images (pictures)
without citing the source, you are committing an unlawful act called
plagiarism,which means pretending someone else's work is your own. There
are legal consequences for doing this. That is why it is very important to give
credit to any material you use that is not originally your own. The best time to
do this is when you are taking notes or copying information in any way. Make
Source Cards for all sources you use. Identify on your notecard the source for
any information you print out or copy from a computer source, photocopy from
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anything, scan electronically, or directly copy into your notes.
STEP FOUR: USE OF INFORMATION
Does the information give me any other key
words or phrases that I can use to lead
me to other information?
This is a good opportunity to get "leads" to more
information. Look up any names, places, or any
other terms that you think will help explain your
subject or support your argument better.
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STEP FOUR: USE OF INFORMATION
Am I ready to start putting a draft of my
project together?
1. Have you double-checked factual information in a
couple of sources?
2. Have you collected all of the kinds of information
you need (these may include any pictures, maps,
data, etc.)?
3. Have you recorded the bibliographic information for
any sources you used?
4. Do you have enough information to begin
organizing it?
• At this point it is best to make an outline to create a
structure for your project.
• Now you can see if you are missing any information,
want to eliminate any information, or need to change
your thesis or topic in any way.
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STEP FIVE: SYNTHESIS – PUTTING IT
ALL TOGETHER
5.1 Organize information from multiple sources
5.2 Create a product or performance
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STEP FIVE: SYNTHESIS – PUTTING IN
ALL TOGETHER
ASK THESE QUESTIONS:
1. How can I put all of the information
together to present what I have learned?
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STEP FIVE: SYNTHESIS – PUTTING IT
ALL TOGETHER
How can I put all of the information together
to present what I have learned?
1. What presentation format does my assignment
require? (paper, poster, oral presentation, etc.)Go
back and review your assignment sheet to be
sure of what is required.
2.
What materials do I need in order to put together
my presentation?
Bring all of your notes, images, disks, artifacts, etc.,
together into one place.
Have all of the tools you need to put it together; paper
and pencil, computer disk, poster board, etc.
Work at a place where you can spread out and
concentrate.
3. Give yourself the time you need to make a rough
draft, edit it and make a final copy before the
work is due.
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STEP SIX: EVALUATION
6.1 Judge the product or performance
6.2 Judge the information-solving process
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STEP SIX: EVALUATION
ASK THESE QUESTIONS:
1. Is this speech any good?
2. Is my task finished?
3. How did I do?
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STEP SIX: EVALUATION
1. Is this speech any good?
You should be the first person to evaluate your own
work. Ideally you will have finished your project in
advance enough to check it thoroughly. After that,
you could ask a classmate or family member if
they have time to do it. Then, when you turn it in
to the teacher to evaluate and grade, you will
know it is the best work that you wanted to do.
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STEP SIX: EVALUATION
2. Is my task finished?
Did I complete the assignment given by the teacher?
• Go back and review the assignment sheet again to
be sure.
• Make sure that you have completed all the parts.
• Make sure that they are in the proper order.
• Make sure that you have identified the project with
you name, your teacher's name, the date and any title
if it applies.
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STEP SIX: EVALUATION
2. Is my task finished?
Did I complete the assignment given by the teacher?
• Go back and review the assignment sheet again to
be sure.
• Make sure that you have completed all the parts.
• Make sure that they are in the proper order.
• Make sure that you have identified the project with
you name, your teacher's name, the date and any title
if it applies.
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STEP SIX: EVALUATION
3. How did I do?
This evaluation depends on a lot of different criteria.
Some of the criteria might be written by the teacher in
the assignment. Some of them might be artistic
decisions like the effectiveness of an informational
poster, or the literary quality of a play or poem. Some
of the criteria are common sense.
Here is a list of the common sense criteria to evaluate
for yourself.
1. Correct spelling
2. Overall neatness
3. Parts in a logical and correct order, nothing missing
4. Borrowed material properly cited
5. Any thesis statements or arguments have been
supported
Once you have evaluated your work, you are ready to
turn it in, hopefully by the due date.
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Remember: Teachers will usually take off points
for late work.
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GENERALLY ACCEPTED SOURCES OF
INFORMATION
1. BOOKS
Books are excellent sources of information,
particularly if you’re looking for a deep and
thoughtful analysis. Books take a
lot of time to write, and authors have generally
thought about the subject matter quite deeply.
Books also may have a large scope; it is quite
possible that you’ll find a book that covers much
more material than you need to answer your
question. Be sure to use the index and/or table of
contents to help you locate information more
precisely.
2. REFERENCE BOOKS
Reference books provide overviews on subjects.
They do not present original research, and they
usually are not read from cover-to-cover. Instead,
people refer to them by looking up entries; that’s
why they are called reference books. If you need
an authoritative overview on a topic, you will be
well-served to consult a reference book.
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GENERALLY ACCEPTED SOURCES OF
INFORMATION
3. ARTICLES
Most articles are published in journals, newspapers,
magazines and other publications that come out
periodically. Thus, they are called periodicals.
Periodical literature is usually focused on a
specific topic; unlike books, periodical articles are
not covering a wide scope. Unlike reference
books, periodical articles generally do not provide
overviews of topics or introductions to material.
Instead, they consist of reports, analyses, or
essays on a particular subject, and many of them
include a specific point of view. Here are
descriptions of the different kinds of periodicals
and what they may provide:
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GENERALLY ACCEPTED SOURCES OF
INFORMATION
3. ARTICLES
Popular journals: Popular journals are aimed at the
general public. Writers are reporters or journalists,
who have spoken with or consulted experts and
have written the article so that information is
accessible by the public.
Examples of popular journals include Time,
Newsweek, US News & World Report and other
magazines.
Popular journals are often available at newsstands or
bookstores. Popular journals are visually
interesting; they are likely to have glossy pages,
photographs, catchy article titles, and
advertisements. This is because popular journals
have to attract the public in order to sell.
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GENERALLY ACCEPTED SOURCES OF
INFORMATION
3. ARTICLES
Scholarly or peer-reviewed journals:
Scholarly journals contain articles that were written by
experts, and they are aimed at experts. The
information in scholarly journals can be highly
sophisticated because the writers assume that
their readers already know the basics on a
particular topic.
Usually, scholarly journals are not found in
newsstands or bookstores; instead, they are
found in academic libraries, and they generally do
not have flashy names.
Scholarly journals not commercial in nature; reading
scholarly literature is part of the job of scholars,
practitioners and other experts, so the journals
don’t need to sell themselves. Thus, they
generally do not contain advertising, and they
also aren’t trying to “hook” their readers with a
captivating title or photo.
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GENERALLY ACCEPTED SOURCES OF
INFORMATION
3. ARTICLES
Newspapers:
Newspapers contain reports and articles related to
current events. They describe significant events
for a community, and reporters try to present
material without bias. Reporters strive to present
facts in their stories, and newspapers often fill
people in on recent changes on policies or other
noteworthy events.
Newspapers generally publish opinion pieces or
editorials as well. In these columns, the editors
express their opinions about current events, and
they provide analysis of the news story.
Newspapers are available to the general public. They
contain advertisements, but their pages are not
glossy or bound. Instead, newspapers are usually
discarded by consumers once they’ve been
perused.
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GENERALLY ACCEPTED SOURCES OF
INFORMATION
4. WEBSITES
The Internet puts a wealth of information at our
fingertips. However, much of that information may
be inappropriate for academic research. While
there are wonderful and informative websites,
there are also many websites that are out-of-date,
inaccurate, or biased toward a certain
perspective.
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GENERALLY ACCEPTED SOURCES OF
INFORMATION
4. WEBSITES
Moreover, some articles published on the web have
gone through an editorial process; others have
not been through an editorial process. You can
easily find a website that has not been factchecked or verified, even if it looks polished and
professional. Because you cannot be sure if the
information published on the web is accurate, you
need to evaluate the reliability of the information
even before you begin critical reading.
As a researcher, your job includes the active
evaluation of your resources. You need to be
thoughtful when reading websites, and you need
to think about whether such information is
trustworthy. Here are a few questions to ask
yourself when you evaluate a website:
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THE WEB
Don’t turn in projects riddled
with misinformation.
Flawed material can often came
from websites you use.
You can’t necessarily take the
information as fact, because it
often is just someone's
personal opinion.
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THE WEB
"They will go on Google and type a
word, and that is the extent of
their research skills," said Ms.
Shaw, who taught 5th grade for
10 years and now teaches
special education at Ralph D.
Butler Elementary School.
"There is so much more to doing
research on the Internet.".
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THE WEB
What we will learn:
1. how to evaluate a website's
credibility,
2. how to use precise keywords,
and
3. how to better mine search
engines and databases.
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THE WEB
1. How to evaluate a website's
credibility.
Take specific steps to dissect a
website, such as checking
whether its URL ends in a .com,
.org, .gov, or .edu.
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THE WEB
1. How to evaluate a website's
credibility.
If it's from a university, museum,
government, or some state run
agency, then it's pretty valid.
If it's someone's personal website,
how do you know what that
person is saying is true?
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THE WEB
1. How to evaluate a website's
credibility.
In any case, you should approach
websites with a critical eye by
asking these questions:
Who wrote this webpage? Does the author have
credentials?
Is this webpage affiliated with a credible
organization?
When was the website last updated?
What is the purpose of the organization that is
hosting the website?
Does the author provide a bibliography?
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THE WEB
1. How to evaluate a website's
credibility.
Or else while searching for
information on African-American
history, they could wind up on the
site for the Ku Klux Klan.
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THE WEB
1. How to evaluate a website's
credibility.
It's also important to know if a site
is commercial. If so, it may be
slanted toward having users buy
products.
Not that advertising on a site makes
it less credible, but it's just another
point to consider when looking at
information.
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THE WEB
1. How to evaluate a website's
credibility.
What is the intent of the
information?
When you take the time to approach your
Web research thoughtfully, you sometimes
encounter websites that are biased.
For example, Ms. Harris, the University Laboratory
High librarian, recalls working with a student who was
writing a paper on George Orwell's 1984. The boy
found an essay about the book on the site of the
Institute for Historical Review. Upon closer
examination, the website was a Holocaust-denial
website, Ms. Harris said.
"It looks scholarly because it's called 'institute,' and
there are citations at the bottom," she said.
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THE WEB
1. How to evaluate a website's
credibility.
Five Criteria for Evaluating Web
Pages:
Accuracy
Authority
Currency
Objectivity
Coverage
Use Web Evaluation Checklist
Let’s try evaluating a site.
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Look up malepregnancy.com
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THE WEB
2. How to Use Precise Keywords
"You need precise words," said
Katie, a student at Albuquerque
Academy, a private school for
grades 6-12 in New Mexico. "If
I'm looking up the John F.
Kennedy assassination, I have to
use those words. If I type in just
Kennedy assassination, I could
get information on Robert
Kennedy."
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THE WEB
2. How to Use Precise Keywords
• Skim search results for words
that pop up, especially unfamiliar
words. People have a tendency to
skip over words they don't know,
but those words, when added to
search terms, can lead to more
meaningful results.
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THE WEB
2. How to Use Precise Keywords
• For instance, if you want to find
information on immigrants who
send money back to their home
countries, the term
"remittances" comes up on
search results.
• When you change the search
to include the word
"remittance," immediately the
type of sources are
qualitatively different and more
suited for an academic or
scholarly pursuit.
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THE WEB
2. How to Use Precise Keywords
• Using search operators, words,
or symbols that join key words to
form a more complex query can
make searching more focused.
• Put quotation marks around your
search terms to get results that
include the exact wording.
• A minus sign eliminates
something from a search.
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THE WEB
2. How to Use Precise Keywords
For instance, if you wanted to find
information about the planet Saturn,
but not the car of that name, they
could type "Saturn-car" to narrow
your results.
Using "and" between search terms
can give results that focus on two
subjects, such as Martin Luther
King Jr. and Malcolm X.
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THE WEB
3. How to better mine search
engines and databases.
Finding the right search engine or
database is also an important step
in conducting online research.
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Use:
Google Scholar, which includes
academic and scholarly sources of
information.
Google Books allows searchers to
read pages from books, and if the
information is useful, a searcher
can then find the book in a library
collection.
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THE WEB
3. How to better mine search
engines and databases.
Gloria Ha, a junior at University Laboratory High
School, said she first started learning about effective
search techniques in 8th grade. Knowing how to
search has made her more thoughtful in her
approaches to finding information online.
"I usually start with Google Scholar
or Google just to figure out what the
topic is. Once I have a better idea,
I'll go deeper," she said. "For
example, if it's a history paper, I'll
use the online library catalog, or
sometimes there are e-books
online through the university."
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