Using the Library in the IIM Research Process
As you progress in studies at Talcott Mountain Academy, you are becoming an independent learner. We use the Independent Investigation Model (IIM)™ as a framework with which to explore new information, ideas, and research. Your Library tools and resources can help you with each step of your project:
Note-taking Systems and Organizers
Good notes (not just computer bookmarks or photocopied pages) highlight the important ideas from a book, article, web site, video, or talk, and how they fit into your project. They're also a good place to identify things that you need to clarify, perhaps discuss with your teacher, or obtain more information. As you organize your notes into major themes, you will develop the organization of your report.
Systematically reading your information sources will help you identify these important themes. If you have your own copy of the information source (a photocopy of an article or your own copy of a book, for example), you can underline or hightlight key passages and "annotate" it by adding your thoughts in the margins. The inside covers of a book can become your private index to the places that support one idea or another. If you do not want to write directly on the pages of the book, use Post-It Notes that you can remove when the project is done.
Then, use your note-taking system and graphic organizer or concept maps to summarize the article, chapter, or book and make connections between different parts of your topic.
Here are some useful sites describing systems of careful reading, note-taking, and topic organizing:
Textbook Reading Systems (Cornell U.)
Cornell University Note-Taking System (Cornell U.)
High School Study Skills: Notetaking (Maryville High School, TN)
Notation: An Open-Source Cornell Notes Application (MIT)
Study Guides & Strategies (Joe Landsberger) - tips on preparing for class, note-taking, academic writing, and test preparation
Study Skills Self-Help (Virginia Tech) - alternative note-taking and study strategies, with detailed suggestions to identify key points.
Inspiration™ and Kidspiration™ Graphic Organizer Program
Time Management: You vs. the Clock (It's My Life, PBS) - tips from young teens and experts on staying on top of school work and the rest of your life.
Procrastination: Ten Ways to Do It Now (Valley Mental Health, Salt Lake City, UT) -
Time Management Skills (Maryville High School, TN)
Essay2Review -types of essays, citation styles, etc.
Preparing Oral Reports (Maryville High School, TN)
How to Write a Term Paper (Gale Cengage) - all the steps of the research process, tracking the development of a thesis from initial questions asked to the documentation of material researched to develop that thesis
How to Cite InfoTrac and GaleNet Sources- examples follow the recommendations set forth by the sixth edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers^ Back to TOP ^
Thieves, Cheats, and Liars: Just Say No to Plagiarism
TMA Policy: Stealing the words, ideas, thoughts, or creative product is called “plagiarism”. It is strictly forbidden at Talcott Mountain Academy, it violates state, and federal law, and it is just plain unfair to take credit for someone else’s work, without permission, or without paying for it. Student work that is plagiarized will receive a failing grade, and the student will be subject to discipline in accordance with school rules.
By presenting another person’s work as your own, you’re also lying about your own abilities. Did you do the experiment? Are you the clever poet or playwright? Did you interview the famous person? Don’t pretend it’s your talent, know-how, and work, if it isn’t.
If someone else did the work on a school assignment which you turn it for academic credit, you’re cheating the school’s requirements that you demonstrate that you know how to research and write original work.
The authors of books, articles, and other “intellectual property” earn their living through the sale of their work. Sooner or later, every student and faculty member at Talcott Mountain Academy will also have opportunities to be hired and paid based upon the ability to produce valuable, creative intellectual property.
Paraphrasing: Most students know that copying an entire paper or assignment is wrong. Substituting synonyms to say the same thing in different words (paraphrasing) doesn’t make it OK to omit credit to the original author. Just because you reword someone else’s ideas doesn’t make those ideas your own. You may paraphase or summarize ideas from someone else for clarity, brevity, or style; just be sure to acknowledge the source.
One of the ways a reader can evaluate your research is by following the path you've taken to see if he or she comes to the same conclusion. Good references allow others to quickly verify the accuracy and relevancy of preliminary sources you relied upon for your research.
Here are three times when it is all right to use someone else’s intellectual property in your writing:
Frequently, school reports summarize information originally reported by others. It becomes your own work when you include your own analysis, commentary, criticism, research, and experimentation. If you keep a good record of how and where you found the information you’re using to do an assignment, you’ll be able to finish your project more quickly and easily and can avoid accidental plagiarism. Your teachers and librarian can show you how to show the sources you’ve used.
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Research, information, and writing tools are now readily available to students through 21st century computer systems. Using online guides and free or commercial programs, you can clearly and correctly document your sources. People will see that your project is based on careful, quality research. You demonstrate the thoroughness of your research with your citations, showing that you've thought about some of the important ideas you have studied, made use of, and responded to. A reader who is interested in your paper may want to read some of the materials you've found helpful. The information that you should include in your citations is designed to help the reader find the exact source you used.
There are dozens of different systems for listing the sources you've used and identifying the specific locations from which ideas and quotations in your paper came. Different professional groups have developed rules that reflect the intellectual traditions and values of their subject areas (e.g., doctors, lawyers, chemists, etc.). Over the course of your academic and professional careers, you will probably have occasion to use several of these systems. Various book publishers and journal editors may have additional rules for their publications. Each has its advantages and its fans.
For most of your work at TMA, you will follow the citation rules developed by the Modern Language Association (MLA), the professional group that studies language and literature. This system is also used in other humanities fields, such as philosophy, economics, religion, and the arts. It is one of the systems recommended for Science Fair research reports and other important academic programs. Links and guides to some of the other widely-used citation systems (APA - American Psychological Association, Chicago Manual of Style, and ACS - American Chemical Society) are given at the end of this section. Before beginning a writing project, find out which citation system your teacher wants you to use. The examples shown below follow the MLA system.
A "citation" is the basic information a reader will need to find the source of information which you have used in your research. The "Works Cited" list (sometimes called a "Reference List" or "Bibliography") includes all citations for sources of information and ideas which you (a) quoted; (b) paraphrased; or (c) summarized the ideas of. This list is printed after the conclusion of your paper, beginning on a separate page. You do not need to list sources for information which is already widely known by your readers. For example, you would not need a citation to support the statement that Hartford is the capital of Connecticut. On the other hand, if your information has a specialized meaning with which readers might not be familiar, a citation (and perhaps an explanatory footnote) are appropriate. For example, if you state "Samuel Huntington was the first President of the United States," many readers would need you to explain and give an appropriate source, such as "Huntington was elected President of the United States in Congress Assembled , under the Articles of Confederation, which preceded the American Constitution."
Sources are listed alphabetically by author's last name or whatever other part of the citation is listed first according to the style rules you are following, which can be complicated. If you are not sure how to alphabetize an author's last name, use a trusted biographical dictionary or encyclopedia or ask your librarian for assistance. Although most modern English and American family names are alphabetized using only the last name, customs vary among various language groups, time-periods, and ethnic traditions. For example, is "Maria Von Trapp" alphabetized under V or T? Is "Charles de Gaul" under d or G? How do you alphabetize Michaelangelo Buonarroti or Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra? Each entry in the Works Cited list is formatted with a "hanging indent," one of the formating codes (MS Word commands: Format - Paragraph - Intentation & Spacing - Indentations - Special - Hanging). Note that the examples show below do not include the hanging indent format (all lines after the first indented 0.5 inches).
The basic parts of a citation are the same. High-quality subscription databases often include tools which will make a record of the citation for the source you are using. As you are taking notes for your report (or copying and pasting content from an electronic source), make a record of the following information for each. It's much easier and faster to do it then. Otherwise, you may have repeat your research process to figure out where you found the information you're using. Copy and paste the form below to use while you're researching. The numbers in square brackets correspond to the appropriate portions of sample citations and explanations given below.
Keeping Track of Information Sources
Basic Citation Information |
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|---|---|---|
Format of source (book, periodical, website, CD, DVD, interview, painting, museum exhibit, etc.) |
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| [1] | ||
| [2] | "Title of article, chapter, or web page" |
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| [3] | Name(s) and special roles of book author(s), editor(s), compiler(s) or translator(s) of book
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| [4] | Title of book, magazine, website, etc. |
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| [5] | Number or name of edition or series |
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| [6] | Volume, Issue, page(s) where quotation/source can be found |
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| [7] | City, State, and Name of Publisher of Book
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| [8] | Date/Year of Publication |
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| [9] | Subscription database where electronic resource was found
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| [10] | Persistent URL where electronic resource can be found |
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| [11] | Date when you accessed internet resource |
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-- One author
List last name first, followed by first name and middle initial, is used, followed by name suffix (such as "Jr." or "IV"), each part separated by a comma, ending with a period. Do not include titles ("Mrs."), degrees ("Ph.D"), or associations ("SJ"). Next list the full title and subtitle, in italics, capitalizing first, last and other important words (articles, prepositions, conjunctions). Then give the publication information as city (with state or country if unfamiliar): publisher, year of publication. End each section (author, title, publication information) with a period. (MLA 4.6.1)
Lastname, Firstname M., III. Title of Book: A Subtitle in Detail. City, State: Publisher, Year.
Turabian, Kate L. A manual for writers of research papers, theses, and dissertations. Revised by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Willams and University of Chicago Press Editorial Staff. Chicago: U. of Chicago Press, 2007. (hereinafter referred to as "MLA")
--Two or three authors
List the authors in the same order as on the title page (MLA. 4.6.4), with the last name first for the first author, followed by a comma, each name separated by a comma.
Lastname, Firstname M., III, and Firstname M. Secondauthor. Title of Book: A Subtitle in Detail. City, State: Publisher, Year.
McGavack, John, Jr., and Donald P. LaSalle. Crystals, Insects, and Unknown Objects: A Creative Approach to the Teaching of Science to Intermediate School Children. Avon, CT: Talcott Mountain Science Center Press, 1973.
--More than three authors
You may include all the authors, as above; this is useful if you wish to call attention to one of the later-mentioned authors. Alternatively, you may use the name of the first-mentioned author, followed by "et al.", which means "and others."
Lastname, Firstname M., III, Firstname M. Secondauthor, Firstname M. Thirdauthor, and Firstname M. Fourthauthor. Title of Book: A Subtitle in Detail. City, State: Publisher, Year.
Pellino, John, Mary Ellen Adamo, Sandra Dobrowisky, and Donald P. LaSalle. Discovering Science on Your Adam™ with 25 Programs. Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Tab Books, 1984.
or
Lastname, Firstname M., III, et al. Title of Book: A Subtitle in Detail. City, State: Publisher, Year.
Pellino, John, et al. Discovering Science on Your Adam™ with 25 Programs. Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Tab Books, 1984.
--Chapter from an Edited Book or Anthology
List the author of the chapter or individual work (poem, short story, etc.) to which you are referring first, followed by the title of the chapter. Then continue with the book information, as above, including the role of the book editor, translator, or compiler. End with the page numbers of the chapter or work in question.
. "Title of Chapter or Smaller Work." Title of Book or Anthology. Ed. Firstname M. Bookauthor. City, State: Publisher, Year. ##-##.
. "Emmeline Pankhurst: The Militant Suffragette." Heroic and Outrageous Women. Ed. Gemma Alexander. Edison, NJ: Castle Books, 2002. 135-151.
--Book in a Series
Include the name of the series (with neither quotation marks nor italics) if it helps the reader understand the focus of the book.
. Title of Individual Book. Ed. Firstname Seriesauthor. Series Title. City, State: Publisher, Year.
--From Printed Copy
. "Title of Article." Name of Journal of Magazine Vol. #.Issue # (Year): page(s).
. “A Model Program for Gifted Girls in Science.” Journal for the Education of the Gifted12. 2 (1989): 142-155.
--From Subscription Full-Text Database
. "Title of Article." Name of Journal of Magazine Vol. #.Issue # (Year): page(s). Name of Database. Name of Database Publisher. Database Subscriber. Date of Access.
<Publisher URL or persistent URL link>
. "The Complexities Found, as Well as Insights Gained, From the Identification of a Birthplace of Free Public Education: The Case of Rehoboth, Massachusetts." Historical Journal of Massachusetts 35:2 (2007): 113-142. History Reference Center. EBSCOhost Databases. Talcott Mountain Academy Library. 29 January 2008.
<http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=khh&AN=26183379&site=ehost-live>
Instead of footnotes or endnotes (numbers referring to specific identification of source for a section of your writing), MLA style -- as well as several other citation styles -- uses "Parenthetical" references. Immediately following the relevant quotation, paraphase, or other use of a source, give the author's last name, followed by a comma, and the page(s) specific to that portion of your paper, as follows: (Pellino, 139). If you mention the author's name in your writing, you do not need to repeat it in the parenthetical reference, for example: According to Pellino, "you need to be able to program in SmartBASIC" (1).
--MLA Format (author - Works Cited)
Citation Guide (Williams College) - http://library.williams.edu/citing/
A Research Guide for Students - http://www.aresearchguide.com/
Chicago Manual of Style Online Quick Guide - http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html
Chicago Manual of Style Citation Guide (Ohio State U.) - http://library.osu.edu/sites/guides/chicagogd.php
Turabian and Chicago Citation Style (U. of California Berkeley) - http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/instruct/guides/chicago-turabianstyle.pdf
--Citing Electronic Sources
How to Cite Electronic Sources (Library of Congress); examples from Library of Congress collections - http://lcweb2.loc.gov/learn/start/cite/index.html
Citation-Generating Tools and Software
Noodle Tools - http://www.noodletools.com/
Son of Citation Machine - http://citationmachine.net/
Citation Builder (UNC) - http://citationmachine.net/
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