Grade 8 Research: Home

1. Databases should be your first step in the research journey. They are vetted, reliable sources with helpful features such as a "read aloud to me" feature and a "citation" feature. 

For this research, you may find the following databases helpful. 

• Facts on File/Infobase Learning - Need Login info - Read Aloud and Citation features
• AskRI.org - Explora - Use Secondary Schools - Read Aloud and Citation features
• AskRI.org - History Reference Center - May have Read Aloud and Citation features
• AskRI.org - World Book - Read Aloud and Citation features
• AskRI.org - Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia - Read Aloud and Citation features

2. The next step in your journey would be to go to reliable sites for further information. You can check the reliability of the site by asking yourself:

• CURRENCY - When was the information posted or published? Do the links work?
• RELEVANCE - Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?
• AUTHORITY - Who is the author? What are their credentials? What is the site domain? 
• .com (commercial), .edu (educational), .gov (U.S. government)
• .org (nonprofit organization), or
• .net (network)
• ACCURACY - Is the information supported by evidence? Can you verify the information elsewhere? Is the language or tone free of bias or emotion?
• PURPOSE - What is the purpose of the information? To teach? Inform? Sell? Entertain? Persuade?

3. The third step in your journey is to work out a system for citing your sources. The databases have a citation feature within but general websites do not. Create a Google Doc before you begin to research and get in the habit of creating a list of sources as you find relevant information. For websites, you can use zbib.org to generate an MLA format citation by plugging in your website URL.