Primary Years Programme

Finding Out

This is where you will identify the primary and secondary resources that you are going to need to help you to find out about your issue. Your data

gathering can be done in many different ways e.g. talking to experts, surveys, interviews, film, experiments, observations, …

Key Questions:

What do I want to focus on?

What type of information do I need?How will I access the information?

What search words/ approaches are most useful?How relevant is the information?

What skills will I be using?

Finding Out ChecklistTo ensure that you are ready to move on to the next stage of the Exhibition, go through this checklist. If everything is complete, then you are ready.

Have I remembered to…

Task Completed

Explore what is important when researching.

Brainstorm various sources of information.

Read and understand how to set out the bibliography.

Identify at least one primary source of information (survey,

interview, observations or measurements).

Identify secondary sources of information (at least 2 internet

sources and 2 written sources).

Plan, create and carry out my primary research task.

Record each line of inquiry and key questions before

researching.

Organise any extra notes.

Complete my mentor meeting notes.

Complete my personal reflection and look for teacher

feedback.

Extra Tasks

Sources of Information Plan

Brainstorm ideas about the primary and secondary sources you could use to gather

information about the Central Idea and Lines of Inquiry.

People as sources of information

Surveys, Questionnaire’s & Interviews

Books, Reference Materials, Magazines, Newspapers

Audio-visual, Images

Internet

Bibliography

Steps to Preparing Your Bibliography

When doing research and writing a report, it is always necessary to name the

source of your information. This list of sources is called a bibliography.

1. As you use each source, write down its bibliographic information (don't

wait and do it later!).

2. When you are ready to write your bibliography, gather all the bibliographic entries together and write them down in alphabetical order. See examples on the next page.

3. Each entry ends with a period, just like a sentence.

4. Skip a line after each entry.

5. If you are not sure how to cite a source, ask a teacher or librarian.

REMINDER :

Make sure to keep copies of all your research (emails, letters, printed

papers, etc.). Work as you go, donʼt leave it all until the end!

Examples of Primary and Secondary Resources:

Primary Resources(e.g. interviews, field trips, photos, letters, speeches, emails)

Secondary Resources(e.g. articles, TV programme, internet, books, magazines)

Bibliography

Throughout the Exhibition you are responsible for recording where you have gathered your information. Please use the following examples as a guide to help you when

writing your own.

Book:

Authorʼs last name, first name. Title of book. City of publication: Publisher, copyright year.

Example

Fogle, Bruce. Training Your Dog. New York: DK Publishing, 2001.

Internet:

Authorʼs last name, first name. "Title of article." http://address/filename, date

accessed.

Example

DiStefano, Vince. "Guidelines for Better Writing."

" http://www.usa.net/~vinced/home/better-writing.html, October 5, 2002.

Note: Many websites do not include author information. If you canʼt find it, begin with

Magazine or Newspaper Article:

Article authorʼs last name, first name. "Title or headline of article." Name of

magazine or newspaper. Date of magazine or newspaper, page(s).

ExampleMcGill, Kristy. "A Baltic Scramble." Faces. May, 2003, p. 27.

Interview:

Name of person interviewed (last name first). Kind of interview. Date.

Example

Watson, Cosmo. Personal interview. July 29, 2003.

Your finished bibliography should be alphabetised

The Line of Inquiry I am researching is…

When researching I need to remember to…

Taking Notes