How to Research an Essay Topic: Worksheet for 14-Year-Olds (English & History)

Instructions

Think of yourself as a detective. Your essay topic is the case, and your job is to gather the best evidence (information) to build a strong argument. A well-researched essay is much more convincing and easier to write. This worksheet will guide you through the process of finding, evaluating, and using information like a pro.

Section 1: The Treasure Map - Where to Look for Information

Your first instinct might be to type your topic into a search engine, but the best "treasure" is often hidden in more specific places. A detective doesn't just look in the most obvious spot!

Top-Tier Sources:

• Academic Databases: These are collections of research papers, articles, and books written by experts. Your school library likely has free access to databases like JSTOR, Gale, or ProQuest. Ask your librarian for the password! Google Scholar is a free alternative.
• Reputable Websites: Look for sites ending in .gov (government agencies), .edu (educational institutions), or well-known .org sites (like museums, scientific organizations, or major non-profits).
• Established News Organizations: Sources like the BBC, Associated Press (AP), Reuters, and NPR are known for their journalistic standards. Be sure to distinguish between factual news reporting and opinion editorials.

Use with Caution:

• Wikipedia: It's a fantastic place to start your research. You can get a general overview of your topic and find excellent keywords. But don't cite it in your final essay. Instead, scroll to the bottom of the Wikipedia page and look at the "References" section—that's a list of the real sources you can investigate!

Activity 1: Rank the Sources

You are writing an essay on the psychological effects of video games. Rank the following sources from 1 (most credible) to 4 (least credible). Write a brief reason for your #1 and #4 choices.

_____ A blog post titled "Why I Hate Video Games" by an anonymous author.

_____ A peer-reviewed study from the Journal of Adolescent Health found on a university database.

_____ The Wikipedia page for "Video game controversies."

_____ A news feature on the topic from the BBC News website.

Reason for #1 choice:

_________________________________________________________________________

Reason for #4 choice:

_________________________________________________________________________

Section 2: The Detective's Toolkit - Smart Research Practices

A good detective is organized. Wading into research without a plan can be overwhelming. Use these tools to stay on track.

• Keywords are Key: Don't just search for your exact essay title. Brainstorm synonyms and related phrases. If your topic is "the problem with fast fashion," your keywords could also be: "textile waste," "environmental impact of clothing industry," "garment worker conditions," or "sustainable apparel."
• Keep a Log: From the very first source you find useful, start a list! In a separate document, for each source, copy the URL, author, title, and date published. Add a few bullet points of your own notes. This will make creating your bibliography/works cited page 100 times easier.

Activity 2: Keyword Brainstorm

Your essay topic is "The benefits of learning a second language." Brainstorm at least five different keywords or search phrases you could use to find specific and interesting information.

1. _________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________________
5. _________________________________________________________

Section 3: Spotting the Fakes - How to Identify Credible Sources

Not all information is created equal. The internet is full of misinformation and biased content. Use the C.R.A.A.P. Test to evaluate any source you consider using.

• C - Currency: When was it published or last updated? For science and technology, you want recent sources. For history, older (primary) sources can be essential.
• R - Relevance: Does this information directly relate to your specific topic? Does it answer one of your research questions?
• A - Authority: Who is the author or publisher? What makes them an expert on this topic? Do they have credentials (like a PhD, or they work for a major research institution)?
• A - Accuracy: Can you verify the information in other credible sources? Does the author cite their own sources? Is it free of spelling and grammar errors?
• P - Purpose: Why was this information created? Is the goal to inform, teach, persuade, entertain, or sell you something? Is the author's bias clear, or are they trying to appear objective?

Activity 3: Source Showdown

You're researching the causes of honeybee population decline. Read the two source descriptions below. Which source is more credible? Explain your reasoning using at least two points from the C.R.A.A.P. test.

Source A: A website called "Nature'sMiracleHoney.com" that sells honey products. It has a page titled "The Truth About Bees," written by the company's marketing director. It claims that the only real threat to bees is a competing company's products and provides no links to scientific studies.

Source B: A report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (.gov website) titled "Colony Collapse Disorder: An Analysis of Potential Causes." The report is authored by a team of government entomologists (insect scientists) and lists over 50 references to peer-reviewed research.

The more credible source is: _______________

Reasoning:

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Section 4: Playing Fair - Ethical Research and Avoiding Plagiarism

Plagiarism is using someone else's words or ideas and passing them off as your own. It's a form of academic dishonesty, like cheating on a test. The key to avoiding it is simple: always give credit to the original author.

How to Avoid Plagiarism:

• If you use the exact words from a source, put them in "quotation marks" and include a citation (a footnote, endnote, or in-text citation, depending on your teacher's instructions).
• If you take an idea from a source and put it in your own words (this is called paraphrasing), you still must cite the original source.
• When in doubt, cite it!

Activity 4: Is It Plagiarism?

Read the scenarios below and decide if they count as plagiarism. Circle YES or NO.

1. You find a great paragraph online. You copy and paste it directly into your essay.
   YES / NO


2. You read an article, take notes on the main idea, and then write a summary in your own words. You then add the article to your works cited list.
   YES / NO


3. Your friend lets you read their essay on the same topic from last year. You use some of their main points and sentence structures to help you write your own.
   YES / NO


4. You find a powerful quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. You put it in quotation marks in your essay and cite the speech it came from.
   YES / NO

Answer Key

Activity 1: Rank the Sources

4 A blog post titled "Why I Hate Video Games" by an anonymous author.

1 A peer-reviewed study from the Journal of Adolescent Health found on a university database.

3 The Wikipedia page for "Video game controversies."

2 A news feature on the topic from the BBC News website.

Reason for #1 choice: A peer-reviewed study is written by experts (Authority) and has been checked by other experts for Accuracy. It is the most reliable and scholarly source.

Reason for #4 choice: The anonymous blog post has no Authority (we don't know who wrote it) and its Purpose is likely biased persuasion, not objective information.

Activity 2: Keyword Brainstorm

(Answers will vary. The goal is to be more specific than the original topic.)

Sample answers:

1. "cognitive benefits of bilingualism"
2. "how multilingualism affects brain development"
3. "career advantages of speaking a second language"
4. "does being bilingual improve memory"
5. "social and cultural benefits of language learning"
6. "polyglot brain vs monolingual brain"

Activity 3: Source Showdown

The more credible source is: Source B

Reasoning: (Answers should use C.R.A.A.P. terminology. A good answer will mention two of these points.)

• Authority: Source B is written by expert entomologists from a government agency, whereas Source A is written by a marketing director with no clear expertise in the subject.
• Purpose: Source B's purpose is to inform the public based on scientific evidence. Source A's purpose is to sell honey and attack a competitor, which makes it extremely biased.
• Accuracy: Source B supports its claims with over 50 references, meaning its information can be verified. Source A provides no evidence or references for its claims.

Activity 4: Is It Plagiarism?

1. YES. This is direct copying without citation or quotation marks. It's the most obvious form of plagiarism.
2. NO. This is the correct way to do research. You synthesized information in your own words (paraphrased) and gave credit to the original source in your bibliography.
3. YES. Using a friend's ideas or sentence structures without credit is still plagiarism, even if you change some words. It is also a form of cheating.
4. NO. This is the correct way to use a direct quote. You have given credit to the author and made it clear that these are not your own words by using quotation marks.