61 Module Eight – Research
During this module, you’ll learn about how to conduct college-level research and conduct a research scavenger hunt to help you find sources for your paper.
The activities you complete will help you create the annotated bibliography that is part of your Research Essay project.
Step 1 – Evaluating Sources
Read these short lessons on evaluating sources:
- Choosing and Using Sources: A Guide to Academic Research: 6-Evaluating Sources
- What Might be a More Credible Source?
Take a look at the Source Evaluation Checklist to see what types of criteria you might use when evaluating sources.
Step 2 – Discussion 8A: Evaluating Sources
Discussion 8A – Evaluating Sources
- Watch the video: Video – Earth. Parts – Scientific approach to problems, skepticism, critical thinking
- Choose a topic from the pseudo-science list below or another controversial science topic that interests you.
Note: These links are jumping off points. You will likely need to do some more research to familiarize yourself with these topics before moving on to step 3.
- Find two sources on that subject and answer the questions on the Source Evaluation Checklist for each. One source should be a source you consider persuasive and the other should be one you consider inadequate or not credible. Post your responses to evaluate the source on this discussion board.
Step 3 – Learn about Conducting Research
Read these lessons:
- Choosing and Using Sources: 1-Research Questions
- Avoiding Plagiarism
- Finding and Examining the Sources in Your Sources
Step 4 – Discussion 8B – Research Scavenger Hunt
Complete this assignment to find sources for your topic, create an annotated bibliography, and locate a few key quotes and idea essential to your topic. Use the OWL page on Annotated Bibliography and the Library Tutorials for the databases to help you. This assignment is time consuming, so set aside plenty of time to complete it, but it will make sure you meet the research and documentation requirements of the Research Essay assignment.
Follow this pattern for each item:
- Using the database Academic Search Premier:
- Find a source from a journal published after 2005 related to the topic of your essay.
- Use the Source Evaluation Checklist to analyze the quality, bias, and appropriateness of the source. Respond to the questions to write a paragraph. Be sure to include a quote that captures the main idea of the source and cite it properly in MLA format. This paragraph is your annotation. See the Annotated Bibliography resources on D2L for more info.
- Finally, use the citation tool in the database to generate an MLA style.
- Using the database Proquest News and Newspapers find a news article related to your topic published after 2010. Repeat steps B and C.
- Using the database Opposing Viewpoints in Context, find an editorial or other viewpoint article related to your topic. Repeat Steps B and C.
- Use the Internet to find a source that you think is appropriate, trustworthy, and persuasive to include in your essay. Repeat Step B. Use Excelsior College OWL, Easybib, or another citation generator to create an appropriate MLA citation. Make sure to check anything you use Easybib or another citation generator to compile, as they are not always correct.
- Use the Internet or any database to find a source that you think is NOT appropriate, trustworthy, and persuasive to include in your essay. Repeat Step B and C. Will you include this in your final draft of your essay or works cited?
- Use the Internet or any database to find a source that shows an opposing viewpoint to your position in your essay. Repeat Step B and C. Will you include this in your final draft of your essay or works cited?
