Melbourne
High
School
Research Planning Template for Students
Name
Year
Class Code
Subject
Planning
Even though it may seem an effort,
take the time to complete this
planning template as it will help you to
break down your research task into
manageable activities. This will give
you an opportunity to evaluate your
progress with your teacher and/or
another member of your class to see if
you are on the right track.
– Timeline to cover all the stages of the information research process
Completing this planning document
Peer and/or teacher conference
Date:
Researching Incl Note Taking:
Date:
First Draft:
Date:
Due Date:
Date:
Any Additional Information:
Defining my task – very important - what do I really need to find out?
Outcomes



To gain a clear understanding of the purpose of this task.
Identifying key words and essential questions.
Identifying the best way for me to tackle the research according to my learning style and Information Literacy Skills.
Skill development
What am I being asked to do?


demonstrate your understanding so
you are not guessing
use of De Bono’s six hats
Melbourne
High
School
What are key words and ideas for this
task?

Attach a concept map or chart
Research Questions



to help you gather specific
information and clarify task
use of Bloom’s Taxonomy
use of Gardner’s Intelligences
Locating and Gathering – where can I find the information I need?
Outcomes



To identify what information I already have and what I need.
To identify the most appropriate resources for my task and why.
To identify the best places to locate this information quickly and efficiently.
What do I know?
What do I want to know?
Resources I will use
Primary Sources
A primary source requires the
learner to interact with the source
and extract information.
Secondary Sources
 Person
 E-mail Contact
 Discussion
 Community Meeting
 Artefact
 Reference Material
 Interview
 Event
 Debate
 Survey
 Observation of Object (animate and inanimate)
 Book
Melbourne
Secondary sources are edited primary
sources, second-hand versions. They
represent someone else's thinking.
Primary or Secondary
Sources
Where will I locate my
resources?
High
School
 Newspaper
 Magazines
 Teacher provided resources
 Encyclopaedia
 Video Tape/DVD
 Audio Tape/Discs
 TV
 CD Rom
 Online Databases – have I learnt how they work
 Internet Web Site – am I search savvy  Graph, chart, diagram, table
 Library catalogue
 Electronic Encyclopaedia/Search Engines
 Online Experts
 School Library
 University Library
 Provided by my Teachers
 Library Home Page
 TAFE Library
 Internet
Other:
Selecting and Organising – What information do I really need to use and how can I
best use it?
Outcomes
 Analyse your material – identify relevant information and discard unnecessary information
 Decide if the information is current, accurate and credible
 Make connections about new ideas and what you already know
 Use strategies to record your notes carefully and logically categorising your ideas
 Record bibliographic details for each of your sources
 Synthesis – combine the important ideas from different sources into your own words to formulate your own viewpoint, position or
conclusion
Notetaking and Notemaking
I will organise my information and create new ideas in the following ways to avoid plagiarism:
 Skimming and scanning
Graphic Organisers
 Brainstorming/ Mind mapping
 Use of Headings and Subheadings
Melbourne
 KWHL
 Venn Diagram
 DATT
 Data Grid/ Chart/Matrix
 Notes in my Workbook
 T-Chart
 Fact/Opinion
 CORT
 Research Booklet
 Electronic Note Making using Word
Other:
High
School

Referencing
I will reference my
sources in my presentation by:
 Attaching a Bibliography
 Using Footnotes/In text references
Presenting – How have I been asked or what is the best way to present this information?
Outcomes
 Opportunity to structure my information into a final format, ensuring I address criteria and meet outcomes.
 Ensure I create a logical and coherent flow of ideas.
 Ensure I have the evidence to back up all my claims.
I will present my research:
 Written Paper eg. Essay, Report
 Multimedia Presentation
Other:
This is a list of materials
and/or skills I will need for
my presentation:
Teachers and teacher
librarians involved:
 Oral Presentation
 Performance
Melbourne
High
Assessing – What did I learn from completing this research task?
Review and reflect
 Completed work matches criteria and/or assessment rubric
 Kept to my timeline
 Completed learning log/self evaluation
 Other
Identified skills to learn or improve on for future research tasks - give yourself a rating out of 5
Research skills have I demonstrated during this task:
 Defining
 Locating
 Selecting
 Organising
 Presenting
 Evaluating
ICT competencies have I demonstrated during this task:
 Use of Email to Share and Transfer Information
 Desktop publishing
 Digital video camera & editing
 Word Processing
 Video Conferencing

Other
 PowerPoint
 Digital still camera & editing
 Scanning
 Forum discussions
 Web Page Development
School