Research Note Taking Graphic Organizer

Teaching research is often anything but effortless, but I was honestly stunned by the results of my research note taking graphic organizer.

I was dealing with a group of students more reluctant than ever to work independently with the persistence demanded of research. I taught research in a January and February littered with snow days, and I had significant absences due to personal matters. And still, my students finished their research papers on time or early!

Of course, I didn’t just hand them a research note taking template and hang out at my desk. Here are the steps I took to make it work.

1. Build Common Ground

We start with an article on a topic that students have background knowledge about but also has research implications. For example, one year we read an article on happiness. Students are familiar with this concept, but there’s also a lot of good research about it too. As we read this introductory article, we pull research notes that establish the core tenets of the concept.

What is a research note?

An effective research note helps students start as they mean to go on. Many times, students just copy and paste the words, and that sets them up for immediate disaster. Who wrote it? What was the source? They lose precious time trying to find that information again. When we practice, we include:

• The name of the person who wrote it or said it. There are some great conversations around quoting an article and quoting someone that an article quoted.
• The website or organization. We discuss how the names won’t matter most of the time if people haven’t heard of the person, so the website or organization is valuable credibility.
• A quote or paraphrase. This is an opportunity to discuss when to use which one, in addition to powerful tools like an ellipses.
• The parenthetical citation. We haven’t made a citation page, but the parenthetical is the first word of the entry, so I can teach them that much on the fly.

The research note is the actual sentence they will write in their papers. Reviewing these before writing the actual paper pays enormous dividends for both you and them down the line.

2. Use students’ prior knowledge to build an introduction draft.

In the case of happiness, students wrote introductions describing three factors people suggest contribute to happiness. These factors become their search areas. The paper will be an investigation into the research behind those suggestions. Is the research abundant and unanimous? Does it have limitations? Oftentimes, students are expected to take a declarative stance and defend it with research. This can result in unscientific cherry-picking. I am cultivating students who are both open-minded and critical with their literacy.

3. Test their search areas to prepare search terms instruction.

I always try searching their topics using whatever search engines I want them to use. If I can’t find it, or the results aren’t amazing, I know that I need to be ready. Based on what I find and how, I teach them to write the search terms they will need to find good results. Before we actually search, I review the terms they plan to use.

4. Teach them a process for finding the right articles.

I am a former debate coach, and no one researches like debaters. Because it can be so time-consuming and distracting, the process of article gathering is separate from note-taking. Students gather articles for their first subtopic (in my earlier example, the first factor contributing to happiness). Afterwards, I review what students gather to ensure they are finding solid articles. If anyone is struggling or gone, I let students researching similar topics share articles with each other. Real researchers are collaborative, and so are we.

5. Begin Note-Taking For Research Articles

I remind them and review the note-taking we did with the opening article before they go back into their articles for note-taking. When they finish, I will review them for accuracy with the model, which determines any lessons I need to review with the whole class. At this phase, students also evaluate their notes for their strengths and limitations so we can determine if they need more information before continuing.

This is also where I have students lock in the articles for their works cited entries. You can use a platform like Noodle Tools, Google Citation Generator, EasyBib, or another to assist students in creating these. I prefer giving them an electronic template and having them manually enter the information. It’s old-school, but I have no way to guarantee what platforms will be available to them in the future, so I want to prepare them for independence. I can start to check their accuracy (and also that they have cited every source that they noted).

6. From Note-Taking to Research Paper

When their notes are accurate and sufficient, they write the first body paragraph. One of the troubles with research is holding all the information in your mind. By breaking it down to build paragraph-by-paragraph, I support their handle on the information while giving them multiple passes at a complex process within the same paper.

7. Repeat.

After writing the first body paragraph, students go back to the article gathering step and repeat the process for their second and then third areas. In my experience, the students increased their speed through the repetition, which built their confidence.

What’s Next?

Of course, it doesn’t have to be a five-paragraph essay, and depending on your students, you may make this more complex. Even just having multiple scaffolded passes will prepare them to then go off-template for additional passes. From here, you can continue with conclusion writing, style and editing lessons, and more.