I – Defining keywords
It is preferable to choose nouns for your keywords. Start with the most important keywords at the beginning and the less important ones at the end. Sometimes the order matters for some search engine.
Before starting your research you should define the important keywords. Remove any keywords that are too general, and keep the important keywords.
If you are using Google do not hesitate to use operators to help you search Google in a more effective manner
II – Checking sources
WIKIPEDIA
Wikipedia is a great tool to use for your research. However, you have to take into consideration a few things.
- Pages often cite reliable sources however it might not be consistently correct. Always make sure to check one piece of information on another website.
- For current events that are happening in the world make sure to read different newspapers instead of Wikipedia to have a bigger picture.
NEWSPAPERS
Newspapers are great sources for current events around the world. However, they are never entirely neutral.
On your left you can find a list of the most famous newspapers in the English speaking world with their political bias and their reliability.
If you wish to check the political bias and reliability of another website that is not is the list go on Media Bias. You can also take a look on Ground News, a website that offers different newspapers from different political sides for the same event.
OTHER WEBSITES
The easiest way to check some information found on a website is to search for the same information on other websites. If you can, use more credible websites to check information: newspapers, universities and libraries websites, encyclopedias, etc.
IV – Keeping the essential
1. READ THE TEXT CAREFULLY
First, read the entire text to understand the overall meaning. Focus on the main ideas, and try to identify the key points, themes, or arguments.
2. ELIMINATE MINOR DETAILS
Focus on the essential and ignore specific details, statistics, or minor examples unless they are critical to the main point. The goal is to capture the overall meaning without getting lost in the details.
3. USE YOUR OWN WORDS
Rephrase the key points to avoid copying sentences directly from the text. Using your own words ensures that your summary shows understanding.
Example:
Original Text
In 2006, President George W. Bush signed the Secure Fence Act, which authorized the construction of 700 miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border. The act aimed to improve border security by installing physical barriers and technology like cameras and sensors to prevent illegal crossings. Bush emphasized that this was part of a larger strategy to secure the border while working toward immigration reform.
Simple Summary
In 2006, President Bush signed, the Secure Fence Act, a law to build 700 miles of border fence to improve security and stop illegal entries.
V – Sources
At the end of your document you will have to add the references. They usually contain the author, the date, the title who published it and the URL if it was found on the internet. The references are found at the end of your document and not inside the text. You ALSO have to cite your document inside the text, however you will write the author and the date only, like this: (author, year).
I’M MISSING SOMETHING!
