Gather Info for Mini-Research Projects
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What you will learn
- 1Use a structured note-taking frame to record source, key fact, and URL
- 2Identify the key fact from a sample online source
- 3Organize gathered information ready for a mini-research project
Mini Lesson
Good research is not just about finding information — it is about recording it clearly so you can use it later. A note-taking frame helps you stay organized by capturing the source name, one key fact, and the URL for every piece of information you find.
The Research Note Frame
- Source: the name of the website, book, or person you got the information from.
- Key fact: the one most important piece of information you found there.
- URL: the web address so you can go back and check the source.
How to Take Good Research Notes
- Read the source carefully — do not copy long sentences.
- Write the key fact in your own words (paraphrase).
- Note the source name and URL right away — you will forget it later.
- Collect at least two notes from different sources to check your facts.
Words to know
Note-taking frame
A structured template for recording source, key fact, and URL
e.g. A three-row table with Source, Key Fact, and URL is a note-taking frame.
Paraphrase
Rewriting information in your own words
e.g. Instead of copying "Bees pollinate 70% of crops," write "Bees help grow most of our food."
URL
The web address of a webpage
e.g. www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bees is a URL.
Plagiarism
Using someone else's words or ideas without giving credit
e.g. Copying a paragraph without quoting or naming the source is plagiarism.
Write notes in your own words, not copied sentences. If you copy exact words, put them in quotation marks and note the source — otherwise it becomes plagiarism.
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