2. TUNING IN
FOLLOW YOUR INTEREST, GET EXCITED, ASK QUESTIONS, SET GOALS
Get excited about your topic
Get a general understanding of the main idea
of your topic
Create an Inquiry question that will guide
your research
Create some ‘small questions’ that will lead-
in to your ‘big’ question.
Set targets and goals for yourself, as
necessary
3. FINDING OUT
SEARCHING, SKIMMING, SCANNING, THINKING, READING, UNDERSTANDING
1. Use your big question as well as your ‘small
questions’ to guide your research.
2. Remember, we want to use a variety of
sources.
3. Record all of your sources of information
4. Do not copy! Read and understand, then
write in your own words.
4. WHERE TO LOOK
At school we have…
Books
The Internet
Old Photos
Posters
People to talk to
At home you might…
Visit a place in HK
Use the Internet
Go to the Public Library and look at old newspapers
Talk to people who know more than you
Find a museum linked to your topic in HK (there are lots!)
5. FINDING INFORMATION
From Books From the Internet
Record the title and • Specific searches in
author for your source Google – use speech
marks
list.
• ‘Show Search Tools’ in
Use the contents Google – Reading level,
Use the index related searches, etc
• Skim and scan then read
Bold words, pictures and and understand
captions • Be critical
Skim and scan as • Record the web address
required and article title for your
Read and understand source list
first!
6. TAKING NOTES
Reminders
- Your notes should recap the important things
from what you’ve read.
- Use your own words
- Jot dot notes to save time
- Spell key words/names correctly
- Record the source of your information to your
notes so you know where they came from
- If you want to copy something exactly, use
speech marks so that you know it as actual
quote from the book.
7. SORTING OUT
ORGANISE, PREPARE, THINK, CHOOSE, ASK MORE QUESTIONS, WRITE IN YOUR OWN WORDS
Organise your information
Use headings
Choose your information
Do you need to ask more questions
Write in your own words
8. ORGANISING YOUR NOTES
1. Review all the information you have
collected
2. What are your main areas? Group
information that goes together (by subject,
by date, section, etc)
3. Use a system to help you (colours, symbols,
etc)
4. Ensure all direct quotes are sourced exactly
5. Reflect. What are you missing? What more
do you need? What don’t you need?
