Research Strategies
for the
Upper Grades
By Rachel Shankles
Lakeside High School, Hot Spgs
Problem: How do we get the students
to use print sources first?
Resolution:
• Meet with teachers prior to research unit
• Agree on requiring print (books and mags)
EBSCO & database sources
• Agree the general Internet searching should
be last step after a lesson on advanced
searching in Google
Methods to achieve these goals
• Require each student to have a research folder of some type;
three ring 1” binder or paper folder or envelope or manila
folder (you supply or they supply or you could sell to them)
• Require them to have a highlighter (we sell these and note
cards that we buy at the Dollar Store)
• Require that every source used in the research paper must be
copied and placed in this folder that will be turned in with the
paper
• Give free copy days during print resource days in the library
and supply a three-hole punch
• Make sure your workers also copy the title page and the verso
page to insure the kids have the citation info needed when
they copy pages from any book
Time Line for
Most Research Classes
• First two days use books, bound or shelved
magazines, vertical files and mark pages to get
the free copies
• Require approx. 3 source cards from books
and 2 others from mags or vertical files to be
turned in at end of second day
• This forces them to use print sources first
Timeline (cont’d)
• Third day- review how to access and use EBSCOhost
database for magazines and newspapers, teach them
to select appropriate databases and to check mark the
full text button (MAS is the main database
recommended for high school students), review
Boolean Logic for keyword searching
• Require they print the whole article so it will be date
stamped, etc.
• Require at least 2 EBSCO source cards by end of day
• Hand out home login code sheet for EBSCO and the
other databases you have
Timeline (cont’d)
• Fourth day- review the appropriate databases with the
class depending on whether it is English or history or
other areas of research and have a handout on how to
cite your databases
• We use Infotrac Discovering Series for history,
literature, science; Opposing Viewpoints for OC, history
and English pro/con papers; and Contemporary Literary
Criticism for Lit papers -also by Gale and Culturegrams
by Proquest for foreign language and global studies
• Require that they print out the entire articles from
databases and do not cut and paste so that the source
citation (in all Gale databases) is on the page
Timeline (cont’d)
• Last day of a week-long research class – go over
Advanced Search in Google and how to key in .edu or
.gov/.mil only as your parameters
• Review evaluating Internet resources and explain why
Wikipedia is not a credible source for research papers
(for general info , yes)
• Review citing web pages and finding date posted or
revised and the responsible party like the University
name or the governmental agency responsible for the
page
• Make sure any .com and .org cites are approved by the
teacher before including them in a paper
• Require they print the webpage so it will be datestamped to contain the day they accessed it
Suggestions
• Teach Boolean logic, search strategies, using Google Advanced
Search as the search engine of choice, evaluating web pages,
and citing online resources ---in your Library Orientation
classes and review these as needed for upper grade classes
• Have handouts readily available for home logins and MLA
citation style sheets
• Meet with each department to plan major research units and
suggest appropriate materials and source requirements/time
frame---and get them to use your print resources first then
online resources (cause some times the computers don’t
work)
• If we don’t get this across, the library will turn into a
computer lab and we will be replaced by a technician
Email me to get slide shows on any of
the topics we have discussed
Rachel_Shankles @LS1.dsc.k12.ar.us
Shankles @cablelynx.com