Biographical Research
Step One: For this unit you will be researching an individual and his or her contribution to society and completing the steps below in order to write a cohesive research paper. Please select one of the topics you brainstormed last week; if you have a different topic you would like to research, please speak with Mrs. Calcaterra.
A biography is a true story of a person’s life written by another person. Good biographers research subjects extensively in order to present information accurately. The writer, or biographer, interviews the subject if possible and researches the person’s life. Biographers often focus on remarkable or admirable aspects of their subjects. Although biographers often present their subject in a favorable way, they also strive for a balance between fact and interpretation.
After choosing a subject to research, get an overview of your subject by reading general articles in reference books, such as encyclopedias, biographical dictionaries, newspaper articles, magazine articles, films, videos, television programs, autobiographies, and biographies.
The amount of available biographical information is directly related to an individual’s prominence in his or her field and popularity with the general public. Researching a relatively unknown person requires perseverance and any information found may be minimal.
Background Research vs. In-Depth Research
In-depth research involves looking for greater detail and specifics about your topic. It’s key to later stages of your paper, but background research is the best place to begin when you are just learning about your topic.
To understand more about the differences between the two, check out the chart below.
Background Research: Encyclopedias
Very famous people can be found in general encyclopedias. An encyclopedia article usually contains a brief summary of someone’s life and major accomplishment(s).
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Username:south4 Password:orangetown |
Britannica School Encyclopedia Username:tzhs Password:look |
Free Web Access |
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Free Access from the Library of Congress |
District Credentials |
Step Two: Create a research question. (10 points)
Example:
Topic: Abraham Lincoln
Question: How did Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation impact civil rights throughout history and today?
Step Three: In-Depth Research
Scholarly journals are generally used for in-depth research and are probably too narrow for most background research, but a preliminary database search for scholarly articles can help you determine how much material you might find on a topic.
Find four credible sources related to your topic.
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Username: TZHSLibrary Password: Dutchman |
Username: tzhs Password: student21! |
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Username: tzhs Password: 8456801670 |
Username: empirelink |
Username: tzhs Password: dutchmen |
Step Four: Evaluate your Sources. Use the C.R.A.A.P. (Currency, Relevancy, Accuracy, Authority, Purpose) Worksheet. As you begin to search and increase your knowledge base, you will inevitably find topics you will want to delve into. Remember to read laterally. When using the internet implement the Better Searches, Better Results we practiced earlier. When looking for various perspectives on a a specific topic it is extremely important to pull articles from multiple sites on the same day, ensuring that they were from the same news cycle.
Step Five: Save and annotate your articles. When reading your articles, it is important to remember key information. Annotate the articles, so finding the facts and important information is a bit easier when you begin the writing process. Watch the video below to gain a better understanding of what it means to annotate.
Step Six: Works Cited Page. A works cited page is an alphabetized list of your sources using the Modern Language Association (MLA) format. A works cited page serves to show the reader where the information is from giving the source credit for the information and ideas.
Watch the video below to get a better understanding of why a works cited page is important.
Step 7: Outlining your information. Now is time to organize your research in a coherent manner. Using your annotated articles, fill in the outline. Make sure to note which article information is from. Use the author’s last name or first word or two from the Works Cited page as your “signal” word. You will need to use this in your paper as well.
Watch the video below titled, “What are in-text citations?
Step 8: Drafting your essay or paper. Write all of your findings in a research style paper. A research outline will also help you write in a clear, organized manner without missing anything. Follow the outline information given to you by your ELA teacher. Draft your essay in google docs. Be sure to include Internal Citations. The works cited should be the last page.
Step 9: Self editing and revising. Use the worksheet to edit and revise your paper.
Step 10: Make the necessary changes. Submit your paper to turnitin.com
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