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Find Reliable Sources and Complete Background Research

2 - Background Research

Background research is necessary so that you know how to design and understand the results of your experiment.

Task #2B: Find Reliable Sources and Complete Background Research

Learning Objectives

  • Explain what makes a good source of information.

  • Find reliable general sources of information to complete your background research.

  • Explain why it is important to cite your sources and create a list of resources used.

Instructions
  1. Read Finding Information for Your Research Paper to learn more about how to find reliable sources of information for your background research.
  2. Answer the following questions to check your learning:
    1. Which is NOT a characteristic of a good source of information or reference?
      Correct! A good source should be easy for others to find or obtain, not hard to access.
      Nice try! Review the section on what makes a good reference to find the correct answer to this question.
    2. Which of the following is a reliable way to find general information for background research?
      Great job! Consulting encyclopedias, textbooks, or expert websites are reliable ways to find general information for background research.
      Nice try! Refer to the section on finding information to learn about reliable sources for background research.
    3. Which is NOT a reason to cite your sources and create a list of resources used?
      Correct! Making your project look longer is not a valid reason to cite your sources and create a list of resources used.
      Nice try! Review the section on citing sources to understand the valid reasons for doing so.

  3. Find Reliable Resources:

    • Use the keywords, questions, and key formulas/equations from your Background Research Plan to find reliable resources to complete your research.
    • You can find resources using a web search or from the library.
    • If you are using a Science Buddies project, you may also use the resources provided in the Bibliography section.
    • You should find at least 3 resources, but feel free to add additional rows as needed.
    • Take careful notes on each resource, being sure to focus your notes on answering the key questions you identified.
    • *Remember to document your background research in your lab notebook. You can fill out, print, and glue the table below into your notebook OR handwrite a similar table in your notebook.
    Keep track of your research in the table below OR create a similar table in a document and share the link to the document here:
    Resource & Research Table
    Swipe left to see more
    Keyword(s)/ Question(s)/ Formula You Are Researching Resource Link or Book Name Resource Checklist Your Research Notes
    Example:
    What is protein?
    Why do humans need protein?     		Example: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK218739/

    Example:

    • Makes up ¾ of most human tissues
    • Macromolecules needed for almost every function in the body
    • Body needs 9 essential amino acids in proteins
    • Etc.

  4. A resource list is a list of the books, websites, and other resources you used to gather information for your science project. It's important because it shows where you got your information and gives credit to the original authors. To create your resource list, write down all the resources you used. You will need this list when you create your final project presentation.

    Check with your teacher to clarify whether they prefer you to include only the page name, author, and link or if they require a complete citation formatted according to MLA or APA style.

    Resource List

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