 Pen on Fire: A Busy Woman’s Guide to Igniting the Writer Within: Barbara DeMarco-Barrett: Books
ISBN: 0156029782 |
It’s March, a time when most of the New Year’s resolutions have fallen by the wayside. But, not this time!
My plan to Resolve To Write is still strong, and I’m about to complete the entire “Getting Started” section as soon as I write this week’s assignment, “Regarding Research.”
The assignment is to pick a topic that you love but know little about, and
Do a little research and see where it leads. Surf the Internet, follow threads, and see where you end up.
Well, in tackling this project, I realized that the topic that I really needed to research is online research.
Beyond Google
The Google or Yahoo search boxes, which are easily accessed on my Internet browser tool bar, are my first – and usually only – research destination.
For example, when Alex decided that he wanted to study his gecko’s shed skin and write a blog entry on this, I googled “reptile skin” and pulled up several useful articles.
This is fine for a quick, casual question; however, it’s not the best way to gather information when you undertake a research project.
Online Search Engines
You can improve your search on these popular search engines by using a cheat sheet to fine-tune your search request.
Or, you can use Clusty, a search engine that sorts all the results into folders. A search for reptile skin yields: 20 articles on “shed”; 20 articles on “leather”; 12 articles on “amphibian”; etc. Right away, you can view all the relevant articles.
Is Clusty the best search engine for your research? It all depends on what you’re looking for. Visit Search Engine Showdown or Search Engine Watch for tips and comparison charts.
Where To Start Your Search
A good place to start any search is on Choose the Best Search for Your Information Need which lists search engines according to subject, timeliness, type of researcher (ex. kid or Internet newbie), and much more.
If you’re interested in academic research, go to Research and Documentation Online by Diana Hacker where you’ll find academic sources for topics in the Humanities, Social Sciences, History, Sciences. It includes citation guidelines.
For a comprehensive list of research links, and advice on advanced online research techniques and evaluating web sites, take a look at Blogging Resources and Sources to Help You Blog. Particularly worthwhile are the links for movie information, online books, biographical information, and an assortment of special interest databases.
To explore online library resources visit: Librarians’ Internet Index, The Internet Public Library, The Awesome Library, or the Library of Congress Online Reference Resource.
Finally, you can use the following search engines for kid-friendly research: ithaki, Yahoo Kids, Kids Click!, and Ask for Kids.
Books on Research
If you want to develop strong research skills, you will have to go beyond what is available online. Students who are just beginning to learn how to do research, may want to pick up one of the following books:
 Extraordinary Research Projects (F. W. Prep): Tamra Orr: Books
ISBN: 0531139077 |
I recommend this book for students in Grades 6-10 who are tackling their first research projects.
 Painless Research Projects (Barron’s Painless Series): Rebecca S. Elliott Ph.D.,James Elliott M.A.: Books
ISBN: 0764102974 |
This “painless” book is helpful for teaching middle school students basic research techniques.
Reference Books on Research
Even experienced researchers will be able to pick up valuable advice from the following books:
 A Journalist’s Guide to the Internet: Christopher Callahan,Leslie-Jean Thornton: Books
ISBN: 0205565956 |
 The Oxford Guide to Library Research: Thomas Mann: Books
ISBN: 0195189981 |
Both of these books are essential items in my reference library.
The Journalist’s Guide to the Internet is an exhaustive list of online resources that also describes how to obtain the best information from those sources.
Keep in mind that, although the Internet seems to have an overwhelming amount of available information, there is so much more that has not been digitalized. When you really want to dig in to a topic, use The Oxford Guide to Library Research to develop a search that can uncover the information that you won’t find online.
Do you have any favorite online research sites? Can you share a tip for efficient research? Please comment and share your suggestions!
More Pen On Fire Writing Assignments:
Travel Learning: The Art of Observation
Winter Wonder: Through a Child’s Eyes
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
This is a wonderful post on research, a subject I am very interested in. I have the book Pen on Fire and started a class with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett where she teaches at the Writers Workshop. I am going to look at the books on research that you recommend because I would really like to improve in this area.
Another research tool that is a little pricey, but I think well worth it if you are going to be doing a lot of research is http://www.highbeam.com, where they boast access to over 30,000 print publications (newspapers, magazines, professional journals, etc.). I’ve found most of the magazines I have been subscribing to included.
My challenge with research is to stay on topic and not pursue all those interested related topics. This is the major time waster for me.
Thanks for the info Sandra, I’ve been using google and you’ve taught me that there’s so many other tools I could use!
Cheryl,
Wow! A workshop given by the Pen on Fire author sounds like a great opportunity for developing your writing.
Thanks for the HighBeam recommendation. I was tempted to sign up, but I’m reluctant to pay $29/month or $199/year. However, it could be cost effective if it replaces paper subscriptions. I’ll definitely consider it in the future.
Evan,
I share your research problem, but sometimes going off tangent is so very rewarding!
Thanks for the kid search tips! Those are definitely going on my list.
Preschool Mama,
You’re welcome.
By the way, I put those kid search engine links on my son’s Favorite’s list to make it easy for him to do his own research. The next time he asks one of those why-is the-sky-blue questions, I’ll direct him to his computer.
It’s never too early to learn research skills!
Great article! I’m always looking for better research resources.
I’m at my local public libraries 5 days a week to tutor students, and I do research while I’m there. Lately, my best research sources have been reading multiple books from different viewpoints about one subject. Right now, the subjects are censorship, home office and debt freedom.
One of my favorite research sites is http://www.2facts.com.
Thanks for such a great resource!
Sherri
Sherri,
Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll be using the 2facts database, via my local library’s online resources, to pull up material for our homeschool program. There seems to be a lot available on ancient civilizations, one of our current topics.
I also like your systematic approach to covering a subject. I’ll keep that in mind.
Thank you, Sandra
Great post Sandra.
Research is always a struggle for me. So anything that will help me is a lifeline I’ll gladly grab.
My favorite place to search for information are always Google and Wikipedia.
Wow, this was the most amazingly perfect timing!
I have been looking for material on research for N., especially on-line types of research, in order for us to think about the benefits and pitfalls of this most powerful tool.
Thanks for posting this to COH!
New Find:
Everything you could ever want to know about online research has been organized into multiple charts on http://www.mogadore.net/portal/search.html.