Maine's Virtual Library
(MARVEL!)
MARVEL! gives students around the state of Maine access to dozens of databases containing thousands of magazines, newspapers, and reference books.
Explora, Points of View Reference Center, Novelist, Maine News Stand and Maine Memory Network are databases especially helpful for middle school research projects.
Define Your Task!
Take some time to make sure you understand the research assignment, have a clear topic question in mind, and know the parameters of your project. Important questions:
-
Do I understand the topic? (you may want to do some early research to make sure you DO understand and that your topic is not too broad or too narrow for this project)
-
What type of research project is this? A paper? Presentation?
-
Has my teacher told me the types of information sources I am to use? Databases? Journal articles? Encyclopedias? Websites?
-
What specific information am I looking for? What are my research questions?
How to Develop a Good Research Topic
Gather Information!
-
Decide on types of information sources that will meet your needs
-
Use smart searching strategies
Web Search Strategies in Plain English
CultureGrams helps to foster understanding and appreciation of the world's countries and peoples by creating and publishing concise, reliable, and up-to-date cultural content. Today the CultureGrams series is one of the most trusted and widely used cultural reference and curriculum products in the education, government, and non-profit arenas.
EVALUATING WEBSITES
Databases (like the ones listed to your right->>) are your best bet for reliable information for most research projects. If you do choose to "google" your topic and gather information from the web, make sure you carefully evaluate websites using some of the tools and tips listed below.
How to Know If a Source Is Reliable
Cite your sources!
Avoid plagiarism!
Avoid copyright infringement!
NoodleTools can be used to create citations, organize notes, collaborate and share work with other students and teacher
EasyBib lets you easily create citations for websites, books, journals, anything, really.
Quick video from Common Sense Media explaining copyright law and how it relates to student research.
CREDIBLE RESOURCES FOR RESEARCH
Click on this PDF for a printable guide to evaluating websites
