The Foundation for a Meaningful Life
Kindergarten - Grade 9 in Southborough, MA
Fay School Library
Research Tool Kit

Understand Information

Understand the information.

Read, Read, Read!
Read all the information you've found. Consider whether it will help answer your essential question or support your thesis statement. Think like a detective, and gather evidence and follow clues to support your case. If you don't have enough quality information for your research, ask a librarian. Librarians are experienced in finding quality resources and are happy to help you!

Evaluate
Look critically at the sources you've gathered. Ask these questions:
  • Is the information accurate?
  • Is the information biased or designed to sway opinion?
  • Is the information up-to-date?
  • Does the essential question or thesis statement need revision?
Select
Choose the best information for your task. Think about primary and secondary sources, and use primary sources whenever possible. What is a primary source? Primary sources are materials directly related to a topic by time or participation. These materials include letters, speeches, diaries, newspaper articles from the time, oral history interviews, documents, photographs, artifacts, or anything else that provides firsthand accounts about a person or event.

Take Notes
There are many ways to record the information you find. Here are a few:
48 MAIN STREET
SOUTHBOROUGH, MA 01772
main number 508-490-8250
admission 508-490-8201