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Develop a statement of the topic
List what you understand, what you've been
told, and what opinions you hold about it
Identify resources available for research
Define timelines and due dates and how they
affect the development of your study
Here is more on the first stage:
Define your destination,
what you want to learn
Talk with your teacher or an "expert" about your topic
Topics can be simple phrases:
"The role of gender in video game playing"
"Causes of the war before 1939"
"Mahogany trees in Central America"
"Plumbing regulations in the suburbs"
"Regions of the human brain"
Develop your frame of reference, your starting point,
by listing what you already know
about the subject
What opinions and prejudices do you already have about this?
What have you been told about this topic?
What resources
are available to you for research?
When gathering information, keep an open mind.
Look for chance resources that pop up.
Play the "reporter" and follow leads.
If you don't seem to find what you need, ask librarians or your teacher.
How does your timeline and due dates affect your research?
Keep in mind that you need to follow a schedule.
Work back from the due date and define stages of development, not just with
this first phase, but also when completing the whole
project.
Summary of critical thinking:
Determine the facts of a new situation or subject without prejudice.
Place these facts and information in a pattern so that you can understand
them.
Accept or reject the source values and conclusions based upon your
experience, judgment, and beliefs.
Section 6 – Study Skills
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