Research Grid Notes
Gathering and Organizing Information Using a Research Grid
If you can keep track of a large sheet of paper better than you can keep track of a stack of note cards, maybe this technique will work for you. You may also create this type of research grid using a word processing program such as Word, Pages, or Google Docs.
This is how a grid might be designed for taking notes:
| Hieroglyphics | World Book "hieroglyphics" Source 1 |
Riddle of the Rosetta Stone Source 2 |
The Origin of Languages Source 3 |
Discover Mag "Ancient Egypt" Source 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where did the term "hieroglyphics" come from? |
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| Were there any early guesses about what the symbols meant? |
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| Is there any structure to the language? |
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| How did the Rosetta Stone guide the translation process? |
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| How do hieroglyphics fit into the whole process of language development? |
In each of the empty boxes, record notes from each of your sources as you locate information to answer each of your research questions.
Tips
- Keep a numbered list of all the sources you use. Record those numbers in the Source boxes in the first row of the grid.
- Summarize or paraphrase main ideas instead of copying whole sentences or paragraphs. (If you are recording a quote, write it down word for word and put it in quotation marks.)
- Not every box has to be filled. You probably won't find information on all of your questions in all of your sources. If a source has no information about a question, leave the box for that source and question blank.
- In the end, everything in a single row can be combined to answer the question for that row.
- Keep track of your sources so you can use Citation Maker to make your bibliography, works cited or reference list.
If you produce your final product from your own notes and credit your sources, you should be able to avoid plagiarism.
Activity: Use this template to create your own research grid.
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