OPHS Online Search Plan

Consumer Topic Search Plan
Persuasive Essay Search Plan
Election 2004 Search Plan
Using Internet Graphics in a Microsoft Office Document

If you right-click on the links on this page and click on Open in New Window, you can refer back to this page for directions.
 

I. Question

    A. Topic  : State your topic as a phrase, then think of subtopics to support your topic.

    B. Essential Question : Turn your topic into a question to guide your research, then turn your subtopic into subsidiary questions.
What are you looking for? The answers to your questions.

    C. Assignment : Use the Information Management Process to find information to answer your essential question. The product you make depends on your teacher's specific assignment.
 

II. Locate Resources

    A. Keywords  : List important words to use to look up your topic in an index or electronic resource.

    B. Resources :

        1. Encyclopedias (print and online) Use encyclopedias only as a beginning point, for background information on your topic.

            Grolier Online Use the PWC Public Library Databases http://www.pwcgov.org/library/ When the PWPLS page opens, click on Electronic Resources on the right. Click on one of the encyclopedias (Encyclopedia Americana, Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, New Book of Knowledge, or New Book of Popular Science). Enter your PWPLS library card number. Once you're logged in, use the search box at the lower right-hand corner of the page to do a full-text search on your keywords. Evaluate the list of results to find articles that help answer your questions. Remember to write the bibliography citation as an online database article! (See the colored links below.)

        2. Online Subscription Databases These are collections of magazine, newspaper, and encyclopedia articles, as well as many other excellent resources. They are worth the money that they cost because they are professionally selected from
reliable sources.

            SIRS Knowledge Source ® http://sks.sirs.com/ See the OPHS library  for username and password. SIRS Discoverer ® http://discoverer.sirs.com/ has articles that are easier to read and can be sorted by reading level. These are provided by the Library of Virginia in Richmond.

            PWC Public Library Databases http://www.pwcgov.org/library/ Click on Electronic Resources in the left column.
Click on a database in the right column. Type your public library card number to access the databases. You might need to
choose the database again from a list.

            FindItVAhttp://www.finditva.com/ Use your public library card number to access these databases.

        3. Books

Use the library catalog at school (in the Novell-delivered Applications window).

            PW Public Library System Catalog  http://www.pwcgov.org/library/ Click Library Catalog (on left), then click OPAC, to search for books.

        4. World Wide Web Sites These can be trash or treasure; evaluate very carefully.

           Google http://www.google.com This is a good search engine to use; it's easy to tell the results apart from the ads.

        5. Periodicals (print magazines and newspapers)

           OPHS Periodicals Online http://booklady9.home.comcast.net/perioweb.htm( (Links coming soon!) Many of the magazines and newspapers that we subscribe to are also available online.

      6. Interviews

             If you know someone who is an expert on your topic, you can get research information from interviewing him or her.
 

III. Evaluate Resources

    A. Relevant (does it have the information I need?)
    B. Readable (remember the 5-finger rule)
    C. Accurate
    D. Current (varies according to topic)
    E. Unbiased

After you evaluate your resource, before you start taking notes,

WRITE YOUR BIBLIOGRAPHY CITATION.

    A. Skim for relevant information
    B. Read for answers to questions
    C. Write notes about answers to your questions
    D. Organize information
 

V. Synthesize

    A. Combine information from different sources
    B. Combine with prior knowledge
    C. Come to conclusion based on information found
    D. Decide how to share what was learned