Martin - Quarter 4 Research Paper

Select and brainstorm your keywords.

1. State your research question/topic

   • EXAMPLE: "How do cigarette companies target children with their advertising?"

2. Identify main concepts:

   • EXAMPLE:  "How do cigarette companies target children with their advertising?"

3. Brainstorm synonyms, related terms, broader terms, scientific/technical terms, and more specific terms based on your own background knowledge:

   • EXAMPLE:

     • Cigarette companies:  Philip Morris, Camel, Imperial

     • Children:  child, adolescent, teen, teenager, students, youth

     • Advertising:  ads, marketing, commercials, promotions, product placement

4. Avoid the following:

   • Abbreviations - spell them out

   • Relationship words - words like compare, contrast, causation, etc.

   • Judgement words - words like best, worst, pro, con, etc.

5. If needed, search Wikipedia and other reference sources to further develop your list of keywords.

6. Create a keyword map before you begin searching.

Setting a Purpose for Reading

• Brainstorm sub-questions that support your primary question.
  • FOR EXAMPLE: 
    • Main question:  What is the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the USA?
      • Sub-question 1: How does US involvement in the war in Ukraine impact relationships with allies?
      • Sub-question 2:  How does the war in Ukraine impact the safety and security of the US?
      • Sub-question 3:  How does the war in Ukraine impact the reputation of the USA?

• These sub-questions set the purpose for your reading!
  • The title of a source and a quick skim should make clear which sub-question the source focuses on.
  • As you read, look for the answers to your sub-questions!
    • Highlight these.
    • Write a comment describing how the highlighted text answers the sub-question.
    • FOR EXAMPLE:
    • 

• You may find that more sub-questions emerge as you research.  That's ok!  Add them.

Select source types that are most appropriate for the information need.

For Example: