To find out how to conduct effective research To find out about the history of the music press

Photocopiable/digital resources may only be copied by the purchasing institution on a single site and for their own use ZigZag Education, 2012 1

How would you research a new topic?

Sunnys Approach
When Im doing research I like to start by thinking about exactly what I want to find out. For example, when I did research into the history of computer games I wrote out some questions I wanted to answer. These included When was the first computer game released?, How many different companies produce game consoles? and Who wrote the first computer game? Then I asked my tutor for some websites that might focus my research. When I found something useful I cut and pasted it into a Word document. Then I stuck all of the documents into a neat folder and that was my research project.

Sunny, aged 16
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Rajs Approach
I like to use a range of books and Internet sources for my research. If I find out something on one website, I might look for a second source to confirm what Ive read. As I read I take notes by hand, writing down any keywords or phrases that are useful. I quite like to do this using a new mind map for each topic. Later I put these into more detailed notes in my own words. If there is anything Im unsure of, I go back to the original source and check. Raj, aged 17

Ashleys Approach
I use Wikipedia for all my research because its written by people from all around the world which means it gives you access to a wealth of experts. I choose my topic then read everything I can find about it on Wikipedia. When I find something I think is useful for my research topic I cut and paste it into a Word document. Then I go through and highlight the most important words. Next I delete all the other words and then try to rewrite it again so its my own version. Ashley, aged 16

Rules for Research

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

History of the Music Press

Following your rules for research, prepare five key questions about the music press. Swap two or three of these with a partner.

Use a range of sources to conduct your research.

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To find out how to conduct effective research To find out about the history of the music press

Extension Questions
1. What do you know about the term crossmedia? Write phrases / words / examples / definitions on the board and create a crossmedia mind map. 2. Research examples of cross-media within the music press, e.g. Kerrang!, NME, etc. Examples of cross-media could relate to websites, apps, podcasts, blogs, radio stations, television channels, and more.
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