Transcript Doing Research - UpWardBoundSummerScience

Doing Research on the
Internet
Picking a Search Engine
• Google
– The world will never be the same!
– One of the most comprehensive sites for
searching
– Learn to use the best or correct search terms
for the best results
Other helpful sites
• Dogpile.com
– Compiles all the major search engines into
one website
• Yahoo and MSN
– Searches like google and will turn up different
pages
Search Terms
• Use the less ‘reliable’ sites like Wikipedia to find
search terms that will lead you to better sources
• Try different search engines, different terms, and
even searching related topics to find what you
are looking for
• Don’t get frustrated with too much or too little
information
– Too much, narrow your search more specifically
• Dolphins environmental conservation
– Too little, broaden your search
• Feeding habits of Dolphins to Dolphins food
Choosing a Good Resource
• http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/
• http://www.dhmo.org/
• You don’t want to look silly!
• Don’t forget your common sense!!! Just
because it’s on the internet doesn’t mean
it’s real!
What’s in a name?
• Look at the end of the url
– edu
– org
– gov
• Universities or other institutions where
research is done or funded are always
good resources
Accuracy
• Look for a reliable source from someone
who knows what they are talking about!
• Look for an author, if they aren’t willing to
claim their work why should you?
• If not an author a company or institution
Objectivity
• Is the site biased?
• Do they seem to push one side of the
story?
• Do they have a strong opinion?
• Is there enough information?
Other Resources
• A reliable site will reference many other
sites or places where further research can
be done
• Typically there are a list of references that
are not always electronic included.
• Look for copy rights and other indications
the site is paid for
So you found some articles… now
Old, grows new each year
what?
• Equisetum hyemale
• Horsetail is a very primitive perennial plant with All
dark-green hollow, jointed or segmented stems Stems
1/4 to 1/2 inch thick with no true leaves. Stems
Ponds? may be singular or have whorls of branches.
Lakes?
Only single stems produce the cone-shaped
spore producing body at the tip. Horsetails can
be standing in water or in wet areas. Horsetail
stems contain silicon crystals (i.e. sand)
embedded in its tissue. This gritty texture gives it
a common name of "scouring rush".
Use your notes… NOT THE
WORDS OF THE ARTICLE
• Equisetum hyemale: commonly called
horsetails or scouring rush
• Found in wet marshy areas like ponds
• No true leaves, just bundles of stems
• Grows new each year from seeds
produced from the cone shaped spore at
the top of the single stem
• Get the name scouring rush from the
silicon sand like grains found in the stems
Plant Structure
• Diagram shows
the ‘cone spore’
• Segmented
stems
Citations
• "AquaPlant ." Horsetails. Texas AgriLife
Extention Service, 2010. Web. 12 Jul
2010.
<http://aquaplant.tamu.edu/database/emer
gent_plants/horsetail_mgmt.htm>.
Making PowerPoint work for you
• First choose a slide design from “tools”
“slide design”
• Some have automatic formatting that will mess up
your slides if you get too far into your presentation
before settling on one.
• Be careful with colors! Make sure they are easy to
read…
– This is NOT a good choice
• Take your time, check your grammar
• Size pictures accordingly
Using PowerPoint
• Don’t get caught up in
“making it look good”…
your research is more
important!
• Don’t put too much on
one slide (I’m guilty of
this)
• Do have more information
to talk about then what is
on the slide
• Do use pictures that look
clear and easy to see
• Do use appropriate
animations