10.5 Research Questions and Types of Sources

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Notes

Research begins with a focused research question.

Good research questions are open-ended and focused: "How does screen time before bed affect teen sleep?" (not "Is sleep good?").
Search with keywords, not whole sentences; use quotation marks for exact phrases.
Primary source: firsthand evidence from the time or person (diary, interview, original photo, speech, survey data, a scientist's own study).
Secondary source: analyzes or interprets primary sources (textbook, encyclopedia, documentary, review).
Example: A soldier's letter from 1918 is primary; a modern history article about the war is secondary.

Which is a primary source about life during the Great Depression?

Which is the best research question?

Which search terms would work best for finding information on plastic in oceans?