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Gather Information

  • Google Keep: Use the Google Keep function to keep track of websites and information you use. You can color code it and everything!
  • Google Forms: You can use Google Forms to create a running spreadsheet of notes you take from different websites and resources for easier organization later. This link creates your own copy of a note-taking form.

Wait! Don't just "Google" it! (or Bing or Yahoo or WebCrawler or Ask or AOL it!)

You may think Mrs. Rodgers is crazy but hear her out!  Google has lots of great resources when you have great keywords but it also can lead you to a lot of really weird things that are deceptively shady. 

Check Out These Resources:

  • NCEdCloud: The best part of using the research databases in NCEdCloud is that you don't have to worry about evaluating your sources -- the database does that for you!  You just need to figure out if the article is a good fit for your project and the information you need. The second best part? It does all of the citation work for you! There are a lot of really cool resources nestled right in your NCEdCloud, but Encyclopedia Britannica and EbscoHost are the best.  There are even free e-books!  Feel free to email Ms. Rodgers at Sara.Rodgers@orange.k12.nc.us if you need help!
  • Sweet Search: Sweet Search will give you some filters that get great results! Also! you can have Sweet Search News and Sweet Search History, so if you are looking for something about a historical event that is still referenced today, Sweet Search will help cut down on unhelpful results! 
  • Google: Mrs. Rodgers meant what she said! However, in case you just want to Google, try using the Advanced Search options to narrow down your search! 
  • Encyclopaedia Britannica: You can also use encyclopedias like Encyclopedia Britannica to learn an overview and get keyword inspiration! 
  • Wikipedia: You will never ever hear Mrs. Rodgers say "Don't use Wikipedia" for two reasons.  1. It's basically like that scene in Harry Potter when Umbridge bans the interview Harry had with Rita Skeeter. The ban ensured that every student at Hogwarts read the article, and 2.  It is one of Mrs. Rodgers' go-to-places when I want to learn a quick overview of a topic.  Do you know what she doesn't do? She doesn't ever use Wikipedia as a source.  She reads it, learns from it, and then checks out the resources at the bottom of the page and head to those to see what she can find and then hop off somewhere else to find better resources.  It helps double-check the accuracy of this website (since anyone can update a Wikipedia page, sometimes there is hilariously wrong information!) and helps her learn the basics of my topic of interest.  Wikipedia research has its place, just not in more formal research papers! :) 
  • Britannica School: Britannica School is an encyclopedia and a great place to start when researching a topic. 
  • EBSCOHost: An incredible variety of resources!  At least 20 different databases, including e-books and magazines (Sports Illustrated Kids, National Geographic, etc), newspapers, biographies and reference books to help you find more information about the topic you are researching.

Searching Online with Boolean Operators

The video above will show you how to develop a basic search string using practical tools: Boolean operators, quotation marks, and the asterisk or star symbol. These three tools can be used in most databases and will help make sure you are getting the most relevant results for your research without spending hours staring at a computer screen.