LaGrange Middle School Library

• WHO is giving you this research assignment? Listen to what your teacher says about the research. Ask your teacher questions in the beginning if you are not sure of any part of the assignment. Keep lots of notes about what your teacher says is important.

• WHAT exactly are you to research? Read your assignment sheet several times. Highlight important areas. As you find a piece of information, use 3x5 cards or your notebook to keep good track of information and where you found the information. Click here for the LaGrange Middle School bibliography format: http://ArlingtonSchools.org/Library/lmsbibliography.html. Ask your librarian if you have any questions about the bibliography.

• WHEN is the report due? Write the date down in your planner. Read your planner. How many other assignments do you have? Think ahead and plan your library visits. Maybe you can go to the library during your study hall, at lunchtime, after school, or in the evening to the public library with your Mom or Dad.

• WHERE can you locate the information you need? Think what you already know about the topic you are researching. Read about your topic in an encyclopedia. Then, check for your topic in the card catalog of the school library, located under the "Tools" icon on every computer at LaGrange Middle School.. Ask your librarian for help. Also, check the card catalog at the public library.

  Then, after you have started reading, look on the Internet. An excellent site to begin with is: http://www.ArlingtonSchools.org/LaGrangeMid/Welcome.htm Click on the button labelled "links."

  A great search engine is http://www.google.com/ Type this into the URL location spot. Type specific words about the research assignment; use keywords that describe exactly what you want. Leave out words that are not essential to what you want. Broaden or narrow your search if your search results in too few or too many hits. Ask your librarian for help.

• HOW will you know you have the information you need? Read assignment sheet again. Did you answer the questions asked by your teacher? How many words or pages are needed? What kind of line spacing is needed? Alphabetize your bibliographic entries by the first word of the entry for the final copy of the bibliography.

• If you still have questions about your research, ask your teacher or your librarian. In addition, go to the Cyber Library of Arlington Central School District where a complete discussion of research in found under English Language & Literature. Click on A Research Guide to get more in depth helpful tips.