Kristina Shealy

TE 873
Virtual Research Handbook
July 31, 2015

Research Handbook
Ideal Middle School
Perfect School District
2015-2016

Table of Contents

General Information .. Page 4-7

Library Map ....Page 5

Research Process .....Page 8-10

Research Notes . Page 11

Locating Resources ....Page 12

Evaluating Resources ......Page 13

Plagiarism ... Page 14-15

Citing Sources ... Page 15-16

General Information
School: Ideal Middle School, 246 Ideal Blvd, Perfect, CO 80922,
(719)-123-9876
Grades: 6-8 Grades
School Hours: 7:45 AM 2:45 PM, Library Hours: 7:30 AM 3:00
PM
Scheduling: The Ideal Middle School Library is on a flexible
schedule. This enables the library team to collaborate, plan, and
co-teach with classroom teachers when desired. It also allows for
classes to come to the library and learn directly from the library
team.
Contact information: Librarian ~ Tina Shealy (desk phone: 719123-4567, email: tshealy@perfectsd.edu), Asst. Librarian ~ Jane
Doe (desk phone: 719-123-4568, email: jdoe@perfectsd.edu)

 Map
(Pierce)

 Mission Statements
o The mission of the Ideal Middle School is to:
Support a community of life-long learners by providing
successful experiences using standards-based
curriculum which actively encourages students
participation and critical thinking while utilizing 21st
Century Skills.
Provide a safe and positive environment where
students develop a strong self-esteem, appropriate
social skills, and responsible decision making.
Create an academic environment that celebrates
cultural diversity and individual differences through
mutual respect, direct communication, and common
courtesy. (Hickory)

o The
Ideal

mission of the
Middle School

Library Media Center is to ensure that students are

effective users of the library media centers resources and
technology. It is the goal of the library media center to
provide students with a variety of materials, up-to-date
technology, and a knowledgeable staff. Using researchbased practices, the library media center will inspire a love
of reading, instill information literacy, and encourage
students to persist in their academics. (DeKalb)

Guidelines of the

Research Process (Olinuris)

Step 1: Identify your topic.

a) Write your topic as a question. For example, if you are
researching the parts of the respiratory system, your question
could be; What are the different parts of the respiratory
system and how do they work?
b) Identify key words related to your topic. These key words will
help narrow your search results and focus more directly on the
specifics you are looking for. For example, key words for the

above question could be: respiratory system, function of the

respiratory system, respiratory organs, etc.
Step 2: Find background information.
Begin by looking up your key words in the library or online
encyclopedias. Make relevant notes from the
articles within the encyclopedias to help you
further your research. Add any additional key words you feel are
necessary from your reading.
Step 3: Find your resources for information (i.e. books, periodicals,
internet, media, etc.).
a) Print sources: Using the library computers, access the OPAC
system. Begin by using your key words from Step 2. As you find
relevant sources, write down their locations so you are able to
readily access them when finished with your search.
b) Internet sources: Begin by using a popular search engine such as
Google or Excite. Type your key words into the search box and
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scan the results. As relevant information comes up, remember to

write down the URL from the site.
Step 4: Evaluate the information.
As you are searching through OPAC and the
internet, it is important to identify the best
information and weed out the unrelated or inaccurate
information. This is most important when searching the internet.
Below are a few key pieces of advice:
1) Check the date: Information can change over time, and
depending on your topic or key words, older information may no
longer be relevant.
2) Check the source: Unfortunately, a lot of the information on
the internet is not accurate. Be sure to use a reputable source.
If you are unsure, ask!
3) Does it answer your question: If the information is leading you
away from your topic and/or key words, avoid that source.

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Make sure that the information presented is what you are

looking for.
Step 5: Cite your sources using APA format.
If another author wrote it, give them the
credit! See the section below on Plagiarism

and

Citing Resources for guidance. You can also use the following page
for research notes to keep track of critical information for each
of your sources; authors name, publisher, title, and copyright

date.
Research Notes (Boyd):
Topic and/or research question:
Name:

Key Word 1:

Key Word 2:

Key Word 3:

Notes:

Notes:

Notes:

Notes:

Notes:

Notes:

Teacher:
Date:
Author:
Title:
Publisher:
Copyright Date:
Author:
Title:
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Publisher:
Copyright Date:
Author:

Notes:

Notes:

Notes:

Notes:

Notes:

Notes:

Notes:

Notes:

Notes:

Notes:

Notes:

Notes:

Title:
Publisher:
Copyright Date:
Author:
Title:
Publisher:
Copyright Date:
Author:
Title:
Publisher:
Copyright Date:
Author:
Title:
Publisher:
Copyright Date:

Locating Resources (Boyd)

In order to make your search as easy as possible, the library is
organized into specific section. These sections include:
Fiction
Non-Fiction
o True Stories

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 Picture Books
Reference
Materials
o

Encyclopedias
o Dictionaries/Thesauri
o Periodicals
o Newspapers
o Biographies
Computer Lab
o Internet
o Online Databases
Evaluating Resources
As stated above in the Research Process section, it is important
to be able to evaluate the resources you have found. Below are a
few tips to help guide you in this process.

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a) Check the date: Information can change over time, and

depending on your topic or key words, older information may no
longer be relevant.
b) Check the source: Unfortunately, a lot of the information on
the internet is not accurate. Be sure to use a reputable source.
If you are unsure, ask!
c) Does it answer your question: If the information is leading you
away from your topic and/or key words, avoid that source.
Make sure that the information presented is what you are
looking for.

Plagiarism and Citing Sources

1. What is plagiarism? Plagiarism is when

another writers work or ideas

you take
and claim them as

your own, without giving proper credit to the author.

2. How can I avoid plagiarizing in my works? To avoid plagiarizing, be
sure to cite when quoting and/or paraphrasing another authors
works. See below for ways to cite sources correctly.
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i.

Using quotes: If directly quoting an author, use quotation

marks around the text, then in parentheses give credit to

the author using (authors last name, copyright year, page
number).
Example:
The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the Dursleys house
in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the
ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them
led to the upper floors (Rowling, 1997, p. 113).

Paraphrasing: When

ii.

paraphrasing, you are taking

what the

author has written, and

Example: The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by
the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor,
in the United States territory of Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941. The
attack led to the United States entry into World War II (Wikipedia, July 2015).
Paraphrase: On December 7, 1941, the Japanese Navy attacked the US naval base
on Hawaii, Pearl Harbor, by surprise. This led to the US entering the war.

rewriting it using your own words to relay the information.

3. How do I cite sources correctly?

15

i.

In-text citations: Often times you will need to cite an

author while paraphrasing in the body of your works. To give

credit to the author when not using a direct quote, after
paraphrasing the text you can cite by using (authors last
name, copyright year).
Look back at the Using Quotes section: If you are quoting directly, follow that
example. If you are paraphrasing an authors work, you may simply cite by adding
(authors last name, copyright date).

ii.

Bibliography: When using other sources within the body of

your work, you will need to have a reference section at the

end citing those sources. For our purposes at Ideal Middle
School, we will be using the APA writing style. For the
bibliography you must include the following data (if available
and as needed):
Authors Name
Title
Copyright Date
Publisher Name and Location
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 Page Numbers
Website URL

Internet Website: Title. (<date> or <n.d.> if not given). Retrieved from <URL>
Example: Attack on Pearl Harbor. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor

Book Example: Last name, First initial. (Copyright date). Title. City: Publisher.
Example: Rowling, J. (1997). Harry Potter and the sorcerers stone. New
York, NY: Scholastic Press.

References

Attack on Pearl Harbor. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor
Boyd Elementary Media Center. (n.d.) Research Handbook. Retrieved
from http://blackboard.unk.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?
tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard
%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id
%3D_108220_1%26url%3D (layout, locating resources, &
research notes)

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DeKalb County Public School System. (n.d.). Plainville School Policies

Manual. Retrieved October 14, 2014, from

http://www.dekalbk12.org/plainview/School%20Library%20Policy
%20and%20Procedure%20Manual2.pdf (library mission)
Hickory Elementary School. (2005). Hickory Elementary Mission

Statement. Retrieved October 14, 2014, from

http://www.hickoryelementary.com/about/mission.html (school
mission)
Olinuris Library. (2010). The seven steps of the research process.
Retrieved July 22, 2015 from http://www.saylor.org/site/wpcontent/uploads/2011/01/The-Seven-Steps-of-the-ResearchProcess.pdf (research process)
Pierce Middle School. (n.d.). Floor plan. Retrieved July 16, 2015, from
https://www.google.com/search?
q=middle+school+library+map&rlz=1T4SNNT_en___US386&tbm=i
sch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CB4QsARqFQoTCKG9018

rq38YCFceODQodR6kACg&biw=1366&bih=578#imgrc=Is5hF3OP
IMsRnM%3A (map)
Rowling, J. (1997). Harry Potter and the sorcerers stone. New York,
NY: Scholastic Press

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