A quest strategy is a plan of where you will search and what you want to find. Your plan isn't set in stone and may change as you discover new resources and run into obstacles.
Sources:
A good research project gathers relevant information from many sources and formats which provide a coherent and thorough understanding of your research topic. Examine and compare charts, graphs, photographs, maps, and videos in addition to articles and books. If there are pictures in the article, look at them, read the captions, and know what information the pictures relay.
Vocabulary:
When you find a word you don't know, see if you can figure out its meaning from contextual clues. You might want to keep a list of new words that you learn.
Reading Information:
Pay attention to what web pages look like. Sometimes there are options or links listed at the top or on the side of a page. These links may take you to a table of contents, glossary, or a menu.
Where To Start
Here are some ideas of where to start:
- Library: reference books, nonfiction books, encyclopedias, newspapers, magazines, dictionaries, BadgerLink
- Classroom: teachers, textbooks, reference books, encyclopedias, BadgerLink
- Online: government websites, museum websites, PBS, National Geographic, BadgerLink
- Home: educational videos, TV programs, books, encyclopedias, BadgerLink, parents and/or grandparents
- Are there any other places to search?
Things to consider:
- Does the format effect how you have gathered information from it?
- What is the author's point of view? Is the author biased?
- What evidence does the author provide? Do you believe him/her?
- What relationships do you see forming from the information you are collecting?
- Do your primary sources relay the same information as your secondary sources?
- Not sure what a primary source is? Here's a short video!
If you don't think you will be able to find enough information in these resources, you will need to refocus the inquiry/topic.