Now that you have learned what is involved in planning for research, you're ready to draft your own research plan to put into action. Remember, the first step is to re-read your research question and generate a long list of information you think you'll need to find. Then you'll have to decide where is the best place to look for that information: on the Internet, in your library, or through a personal interview with an expert.
Read the information on each tab below to review how to make your own research plan. When you feel prepared to start your own research plan, click the Activity button to access the Research Plan worksheet, which will guide you through the process. When you're finished with your research plan, submit it to your teacher.
Search the Web
Use Library Resources
Identify Experts
The key to an effective Internet search is the wording of your search phrase or key words. Make sure your key words are concise, specific, and phrased in a way that makes sense. Also, use quotation marks around the words in a particular phrase, so the search engine will retrieve only the pages that have the words in that exact order.
Read two items from Marisa's research plan below.
Who are some of the highest-ranking female officers in the different branches of the military?
How many women serve in the military today?
Look at the key words Marisa used in her Internet search. Think of better key words that would make the search more efficient. Click on the text to compare your answer to the suggestion.
| Poor Key Word | Better Key Word |
| female officers | highest-ranking female officers |
| women in military | women in U.S. military numbers |
What is wrong with Marisa's choice of key words?
Her key words may be too broad. Instead of locating information about military officers, she might find information about police officers. Instead of locating information about the number of women serving in the U.S. military, she might find statistics about women in other countries.
The library is filled with resources to help you research: nonfiction books, reference books, movies, databases, fiction books, and periodicals. You can locate these resources by using the online catalog or the Dewey Decimal System, or by asking your librarian for assistance.
Read two more items from Marisa's research plan.
Are there any famous female soldiers of the Civil War?
Are women allowed in combat today?
Which library resource would you advise Marisa to use to find her information for each item?
Are there any famous female soldiers of the Civil War?
- Biography of Sarah Edmonds, Secret Union Soldier
- The History of the American Civil War
A book or film focused on one female soldier would be more helpful in answering the question than a book with a much broader topic.
A book or film focused on one female soldier would be more helpful in answering the question than a book with a much broader topic.
Are women allowed in combat today?
- Sisters in Arms: A Documentary About Women in Combat
- Tanya's War, a novel of the American Revolution
Only one book seems to relate to the status of women in the military today.
Only one book seems to relate to the status of women in the military today.
Summary
Questions answered correctly:
Questions answered incorrectly:
Finding people to interview who have firsthand knowledge about your topic is the final step of your research plan. If you can't conduct a face-to-face interview, it is fine to use email or a phone call.
Read the final item from Marisa's plan.
What are attitudes about women in the military, and have those attitudes changed over time?
Who are some people Marisa could interview regarding this question?
Speaking to a veteran or someone who currently serves in the military would provide unique and personal information. Marisa could visit the local recruitment offices of the different branches of the military or ask friends and family if they or someone they know is a veteran.
Make sure you've completed all the requirements for this assignment. Look at the rubric below to see how you will be graded.
| Criteria | |
| Needed Information 2 points |
1 Point: You provide a clear, interesting and complex question to research in your essay. |
| 1 point: You identify more than eight specific pieces of information you need to find to become an expert on this topic. | |
| Variety of Sources 2 points |
1 Point: You identify a wide range of keywords and information sources for your essay, including internet resources, libraries, reference materials, and experts. |
| 1 Point: Each of your sources are specific: for example, you write, "My neighbor Dr. Kelley is an expert I can talk to about diabetes," instead of "A doctor." |
