100 Research Topic Guides for Students

(Hardback)

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Description

Hand them this easy-to-use, comprehensive guide to researching 100 popular research papers, and high school students will get off on the right track on their research papers. Designed by a reference and young adult librarian for use in her library, this guide saves both student and librarian time and is a shortcut to effective research. Each photocopyable guide will help the student to locate print and nonprint information about the topic, narrow the scope of the paper, and find related topics. This will reduce student frustration in the research process and introduce the student to the full scope of materials the library has to offer on the topic. Each guide serves not only as a map to library resources but as an outline of library research procedures. From abortion to youth gangs, the 100 topic guides are organized into sections on science and technology, social issues, social studies, and biography. Each guide contains a capsule description of the topic, call numbers for shelf browsing, subject headings, pamphlet file sources, reference materials, book and CD-ROM periodical indexes, online databases, key words and descriptors to use in searching indexes and databases, a list of videotapes on the topic, fiction relating to the topic, organizations to contact for further information, suggestions for narrowing the topic, and suggestions for related topics. In addition to the guides, an appendix of aids to research will help students with note-taking, bibliographic citations, and electronic database searching. The book is thoroughly indexed for easy access of topic information by students and librarians. Once you use these topic guides you'll wonder how you and your students ever got along without them.

Reviews

Although recommended for high school students, these guides would work with middle school students, too... Borne has hit the nail on the head with her choice of frequently assigned as well as popular topics. The brief background statement about each topic is concise and well written, and most of the information is general enough so as not to become out of date too quickly.... these guides could help a student produce a worthwhile paper and prepare her to do so again independently in the future.-VOYA
Now there is help for that plaintive cry 'But I don't know what to write about.' Borne presents ideas for term papers and speeches and gives the student an orderly process to use as research is done.... Most resources have been published since 1990 and, blessedly, permission is given to photocopy the blank forms and topic guides. I cannot imagine a school library that will not appreciate this book...The author has provided a wonderful service and will be appreciated whenever the 'I hafta give a speech' crowd appears! Highly recommended.-The Book Report
This positive approach to beginning library research contains a gold mine of innovative and popular topics....This book is highly recommended for high school and public libraries. It might be beneficial also for beginning college students who have not had in-depth library instruction.-Catholic Library World
"Although recommended for high school students, these guides would work with middle school students, too... Borne has hit the nail on the head with her choice of frequently assigned as well as popular topics. The brief background statement about each topic is concise and well written, and most of the information is general enough so as not to become out of date too quickly.... these guides could help a student produce a worthwhile paper and prepare her to do so again independently in the future."-VOYA
"This positive approach to beginning library research contains a gold mine of innovative and popular topics....This book is highly recommended for high school and public libraries. It might be beneficial also for beginning college students who have not had in-depth library instruction."-Catholic Library World
"Now there is help for that plaintive cry 'But I don't know what to write about.' Borne presents ideas for term papers and speeches and gives the student an orderly process to use as research is done.... Most resources have been published since 1990 and, blessedly, permission is given to photocopy the blank forms and topic guides. I cannot imagine a school library that will not appreciate this book...The author has provided a wonderful service and will be appreciated whenever the 'I hafta give a speech' crowd appears! Highly recommended."-The Book Report

Author Bio

BARBARA WOOD BORNE is reference and young adult librarian at the Wallingford, Connecticut Public Library, where she developed the prototypes for these research guides to help students with the research process. Before becoming a librarian she was a teacher in New Jersey, Indiana, and Connecticut, and an academic advisor at Michigan State University.