Searching - Don't Take Notes Yet

First you need to find the best sources of information to take notes from. In this stage, you'll create a list of possible sources with a rating identifying which sources are the best.

Make a List of Possible Sources

Since Internet sources need to be evaluated for trust as well as usefulness, you should keep your Internet sources separate from the others. Here's how to use Smart Ideas to create your source list.

  1. Record the title of the article or website with the rating you're giving it.
  2. If the source is an Internet website (which you found through Google), use the link feature to connect the bubble directly to the source of the information. Click the link button, then add the URL (web address). If the source is an article which you found through Ebsco, you'll need to create a folder in Ebsco to save the article. <more>
  3. Use the note feature to record why you gave it that rating. Record good or bad things that will help you remember each source.

Go ahead and click the links to see the original articles, and hold your mouse over the notes to see the ratings and descriptions.

Once you have more sources than you will need (and enough good ones), you can move on to the next stage and start taking notes.

Credibility = 5/5 - Kansas State University News Article; Usefulness = 4/5 - Older 2003 click to see the article click to see article Credibility = 3/5 - no links to this site, no author / copyright; Usefulness = 4/5 - too much text Credibility = 3/5 - appears to be a university site with copies of newspaper articles but no proof; Usefulness = 4/5 - no graphics, everyday language Usefulness = 4/5 - 10 year study, readable, no graphics Usefulness = 4/5 - sometimes confusing Usefulness = 5/5 - excellent resource Usefulness = 3/5 - opinion, no graphics

Last updated: April 4, 2008