Where can I research?
'Wikipedia is not considered a credible source.' Wikipedia.com
On this page you can find out:
1. Where to start your research and what tools we have to help you.
2. What search engines can I use to help me?
3. How to create a bibliography for your research project.
4. How to recognise the difference between primary and secondary sources of information.
Where should I start my research ?
The British International School Library has links to some great databases which can help you conduct some quality research. If you are doing research, start with our library catalog (Destiny Quest) and the other resources listed below. And of course, Mr Campbell is always happy to help you if you have any questions.
Remember you can access the online catalogue from the home page of this site. Your login details are:
Username: The first letter of your first name in capital letters followed by your last name starting with a capital letter e.g. JCampbell
Password: Welcome.1
If you are looking for research resources related to your Units of Inquiry please check out the following pages: Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6, MYP, Upper School.
Consider using more 'student-friendly' search engines.
NOVELNY is a great place to start your research project. They provide free access to the Encyclopedia Britannica.
Once I have the information I want, how do I use it?
The importance of citing your reference material.
Plagiarism is where you take someone else's work and try to pass it off as our own.
All the research carried out in Years 4 - 10 should include a bibliography.
All of BIS-NY's teachers encourage you to research as much as you like for your projects but just remember that it is very important that you tell your audience where you got your information from. All you need to do to avoid plagiarism is to include a bibliography at the end of your work that lists all of your sources.
At BISNY we use the MLA format for bibliographies. For an introduction to the different ways to write up a specific reference please look at this template from Easybib.com.
Using primary and secondary sources in your research project.
How to cite all sources of information correctlyWhat is a primary source?
Primary sources are original pieces of work.
We use primary sources to help us learn about an event, topic, or historical time period. Primary sources include:
letters
diary entries
original photographs
reports
speeches
surveys
newspaper articles that are published directly after an event
artwork
performances
….and many more
Primary sources require you to analyze them and to choose the examples that best support your argument. In your project, uou will need to explain why you've chosen this particular primary source and then explain how it supports the point you are trying to make.
An example of a primary source is The Treaty of Versailles, which was an important document that brought World War I to an end. It is considered a primary source because it is a raw document that students themselves can interpret, critique, and analyze. Other examples of primary sources include Anne Frank’s Diary, The Declaration of Independence, Martin Luther King Jr’s I Have a Dream speech, and Leonardo DaVinci’s Mona Lisa painting.
What is a secondary source?
Secondary sources interpret, critique, or analyze primary sources. Creators of secondary sources look at primary sources, develop meaning from them, and create their own analysis of the primary source. Secondary sources can include:
reviews
essays
newspaper articles that analyze or discuss older events/ideas
comments on blogs and articles
textbooks
You should use a secondary source in your research project to provide evidence to strengthen your argument and to give your readers more than one viewpoint in your argument.
An example of a secondary source is the book titled, The Treaty of Versailles: A Concise History, by Michael S. Neiberg. In this book, the author analyzes the entire treaty, piece by piece, and evaluates how the treaty affected the world after its establishment.
Another example of a secondary source is the website, Rotten Tomatoes, which provides reviews of films and movies.
Adapted from: Kirschenbaum Michele, 'Video Lesson: Primary and Secondary Sources' 8th November 2017
