Detailed Notes on Research Assessments and Search Strategies

Chapter 1: Introduction

  • Assessment Overview: Complete first part of assessment two, which includes research question, thesis statement, and identification of keywords.

  • Importance of Keywords:

    • Start with keywords from the thesis statement.

    • Add keywords from three points in the thesis statement to create effective search strings for each point.

    • This method is crucial for finding information that will be needed for assessment three and four.

Chapter 2: Selecting Advanced Search

  • Clarity in Thesis Statement: Ensure your thesis statement clearly reflects your opinion and supporting points.

  • Rewording: If using AI-generated thesis statements, rephrase to improve clarity and identify keywords more easily.

  • Basic and Advanced Searches:

    • Use basic search first and analyze the first 20 results.

    • Advanced search can be utilized to apply limiters to refine results.

Chapter 3: Answer The Questions

  • Utilizing Advanced Search:

    • Access advanced search through results or the tools menu.

    • Fill out the advanced search template that Google provides, especially ensuring your phrase is accurately placed.

  • Understanding Limiters: Limiters narrow results based on criteria such as language, publication date, and domain.

Chapter 4: Say Last Update

  • Choosing Limiters: Select relevant limiters to tailor search results, e.g., language (English) and publication dates.

  • Domain Usage: For credible results, prefer .gov over .org, but for specific research topics, .org might be more suitable.

  • Time Constraints: Depending on your topic, set up custom date ranges for the most relevant results.

Chapter 5: Choose A Document

  • Document Relevance: Ensure that chosen documents fit the level required for your research paper.

  • Skimming for Information: Look through documents for headings to ascertain relevance to your thesis.

  • Using Summarization Tools: Consider using ChatGPT to summarize documents to evaluate relevance before making a selection.

Chapter 6: Copy The URL

  • Asking for Summaries: Request specific information points about the thesis statement from summarization tools to verify relevance.

  • Importance of Document Selection: Ensure that the selected document aligns closely with the thesis points to effectively support your assessment material.

Chapter 7: Summarize An Assessment

  • Bookmarking Strategy: Save potentially relevant documents while searching to help in later stages of the project.

  • Document Review: Review documents thoroughly to decide on their relevance to the thesis statement and specific points to develop content for assessments.

Chapter 8: Advanced Search

  • Bookmarking: Use the browser's bookmark feature to save useful sources. Each course can have its own folder for organized access.

  • CRAAP Evaluation Introduction: Be prepared to evaluate chosen documents using the CRAAP criteria in upcoming assessments.

Chapter 9: Whole Thesis Statement

  • CRAAP Method: Use the CRAAP evaluation system to judge the quality of sources based on criteria like Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose.

  • Documentation of Search Terms: Keep track of search terms and keywords as you complete assessments to clarify your process.

  • Assessment Rubric:

    • 20 marks total segmented into 4 areas each worth 4 marks (research question, search strings, evaluations, citations).

Chapter 10: Conclusion

  • Ongoing Development: Continuously revisit your keywords and search strategies as the assessment progresses.

  • Submission Reminder: Complete and submit section one of assessment two before the next class, including evaluations of web resources, and remain open to questions for clarity.