ENG

5 steps

1. select a topic Write open-ended research questions, and narrow your topic. Conduct research. Evaluate and synthesize information. Use the writing process to compose your paper and present your findings.

Maps

Maps are drawings, aerial photographs, or satellite photographs of a given area, including labels, boundaries, roads, and some land features. Examples:a street map, a geographical map, a political map, a locator map

MLA

Modern Language Association

secondary source

a source that provides an interpretation or understanding of a primary source Examples: articles that interpret the works of others, biographies, book reviews books providing footnotes and citations, encyclopedias, textbooks reports on meetings or conferences, reprints of works of art

primary source

an original document, text, or item without any interpretation by another person Examples: diaries, journals, personal letters, autobiographies, memoirs, oral histories historical documents, government publications, legal documents transcripts of speeches, news and magazine articles, books from a time period photographs, audio and video recordings, original works of art items such as clothing, furniture, housewares

Graphs

are diagrams that show the relationship between or among variable quantities, each measured along one of a pair of axes—one vertical and the other horizontal. Examples:the change in grades over the four quarters of a school year; the change in average annual income in a nation plotted over several decades

Diagrams

are simplified drawings of the appearance, structure, or workings of a subject. A pictorial diagram is an illustration with labels and sometimes other graphics.Example: a picture of the human digestive tract with parts and functions labeled A flow diagram (or flow chart) is an illustration that shows the order and progression of steps in a process.Example: a picture or graphic organizer showing the steps in the process of turning iron ore into steel

Tables and charts

are types of infographics that present information in cells formed by columns and rows or in other formats, such as pie charts. Examples: a multiplication table a table of soccer statistics a chart showing the number of gold, silver, and bronze medals won by the ten highest-ranking nations in the Olympics

doc. of sources

citations of researched information that is not common knowledge Example of website citation: Espenak, Fred and Chris O'Byrne. "Solar Eclipse Explorer." NASA Eclipse Web Site. GSFC Solar System Exploration Division. 17 Apr. 2007. Web. 16 Jan. 2010.

evidence

facts, expert opinions, etc. used to support a thesis Example: Studies by the Traffic Department show that accidents have dropped 50% since the installation of traffic lights at the stadium exits.

Videos

include moving images, with or without sound, recorded by a video camera or other device with video capabilities. a professionally produced documentary, a TV-show clip, a scene captured on a smartphone

Images

include photographs, drawings, paintings, and other illustrations that support statements in your report. Examples: a photo of something in the natural world, an object, or a person a painting or drawing a poster or advertisement

Audio recordings

include words, music, and other sounds captured by a recording device. a recording of an excerpt from a speech, a piece of music, sounds from nature or city life

Thesis

the main idea or reason for the research, to be well-supported by evidence Example of a thesis statement: Before they start college, high school graduates would benefit from taking a year off to work, travel, or volunteer for projects at home or abroad, thus increasing their maturity and learning something about the world.

Plagiarism

the presenting of the research of others as your own, either on purpose or by improperly citing all sources Example: As a team of scientists has reported, greenhouse-gas emissions from producing electricity would go down 80% if the United States shifted to solar power and wind power. [Note the absence of quotations marks and a citation of the source.]

quotation

the use of another person's words, which may be taken from a written work, a speech, an interview, or a conversation. Example that might be used in a report on American inventions: "The United States as we know it today is largely the result of mechanical inventions, and in particular of agricultural machinery and the railroad." (John Moody)

Infographicsare

visuals with limited text that present data or give an overview or a snapshot of a complex subject. Infographics include tables, charts, and various types of graphs and diagrams. Examples of each type follow.