Research Paper—English 10



Research Paper—English 10

Using the Databases

Using the Databases to Research a Topic:

1) Consider the topic you are researching.

• For a general topic search, you can always begin with Student Resources in Context. For history-related searches, try U.S. History in Context or World History in Context.

2) Once you’ve selected a database, search for your topic.

3) If an overview of information is provided, read that first. If there is no overview provided, try the Reference sources first.

• Reference sources will give you a broad overview of the topic. Other sources, such as Academic Journals or Magazines, will have a more specific focus on the topic.

4) Always write down the name of the databases you use, and the title and author of each source. In addition, copy or save the citation information for each source.

Databases for the Research Paper:

|DATABASE: |U.S. HISTORY IN CONTEXT or WORLD HISTORY IN CONTEXT—Good sources for general and detailed information on |

| |periods/eras/movements/people in history |

|TOPIC SEARCH: |You can search by choosing a topic category and then a specific topic within that category |

| |EXAMPLE: |

| |Go to “Countries, Cultures, and Civilizations,” and select “View All” |

| |Select “Italy: the Middle Ages,” and then select “Italy, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries” |

|USING THE SEARCH BAR: |You can search by using the Search Bar at the top of the page |

| |Don’t worry if the search terms you entered do not automatically appear |

| |EXAMPLE |

| |Search for “France and Reformation” |

|IMPORTANT TIPS: |The Search Results are divided into categories of sources (e.g. Reference, Academic Journal) |

| |The list appears on the left side of the screen |

| |If you would like to view all articles in a category, click on the category (e.g. if want to view all Reference articles, click on |

| |Reference) |

| |You can sort the results by date or relevance. |

| |For each source, you will find a brief synopsis and the name of the source that the article originally appears in, as well as the |

| |publishing date. |

|DATABASE FEATURES: |Each article includes a citation in MLA format. Go to “Tools” on the right side of the article, and select APA format. |

**NOTE: STUDENT RESOURCES IN CONTEXT has the same layout/features as U.S. and World History in Context. However, Student Resources works better for current issues.

|DATABASE: |Britannica Online School Edition –Good Source for General Information |

|TOPIC SEARCH: |Select “High School” level |

| |Enter your search term—remember that this is an encyclopedia, so the search term should be somewhat general |

| |EXAMPLE: |

| |Search for “France Industrial Era” |

| |Search for “Europe Industrialism” |

| |Notice the different results |

|IMPORTANT TIPS: |Read the brief description with each article to select the best one |

| |If you don’t find the information you need, try revising your search terms |

| |Look at the different topic options provided on the left side of the screen |

|DATABASE FEATURES: |Each article can be cited in APA or MLA. |

| |Each article can be translated into different languages |

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