,

Sorting and Sifting





(Changes suggested here need to be made to the scribd documents and re-uploaded)







Your System of "What Goes Where?"

Back in the Planning stage, you were asked to create a system, or to use a system that your teacher gave you, to handle your information as it came in: which question does it answer? where does it belong in the overall design of your project?

Working Outline

To help you figure out exactly "What Goes Where?" you can create a working outline of your paper that is spearheaded by your thesis statement. The following documents can help you set those up.




Thesis Creation



At this point in the Cycle, you will be joining your resources to the questions you asked. You will also be asking yourself whether or not a source is worth keeping.

Below are some quick guides to help you determine at first or second glance if a source is worth your while. We will go into more detail in the next stage of the Cycle, Evaluating.



When you are looking at a print source, use the following chart to determine whether or not it may be credible. Further criteria is needed once you have the material slated for use, but upon first glance, use this to help you.


Here it is in downloadable format:


Heirarchy

Ask yourself these questions when sorting and sifting through your sources:

  • Which parts of this data are worth keeping?
  • Will this information shed light on any of my questions?
  • Is this information reliable?
  • How much of this information do I need to place in my database?
  • How can I summarize the best information and ideas?
  • Are there any especially good quotations to use? ((McKenzie, 1997))