Disease Project Research Guide
The recommendations for conducting research for the disease project that are provided here are intended to help you locate reliable information as easily and efficiently as possible. It is suggested that you follow the steps in the order in which they are presented.
I.Key Words:
Look at your outline. What are the key words that you need to include in your “search
terms” that will make your searches more specific? Start with the common name of your
disease (for example: smallpox). You also need to find the scientific name for your
disease. In some cases, you may only be able to locate your disease by searching with
the scientific name. The scientific name will be a two-word name that appears in italics,
like Variola major. The first word is capitalized. The second word is not.
Here are other words you need to consider and add to your disease name as you search:
description, pathogen, host, transmission, incubation, symptoms, treatments, survival rate, effects,
discovery, outbreaks, human impact, bioterrorism, economic impact.
Start with some general searches for your disease. As you begin to look for specific pieces of information included in the outline, add additional search terms like this:
Smallpox symptoms
Smallpox treatments
Smallpox outbreaks
Smallpox and bioterrorism
When are you finished with your research? When you are no longer finding any new information and you have located all of the information required in the outline!
II. Searching for information in books:
A.Look up your disease in the glossary (common name and scientific name)
B.Look at the Table of Contents to see if there are any other related topics
C.Read the related pages and take notes on the important information.
D.Make sure to record the information necessary to cite the source, including the page
numbers.
(Title of books, author(s), publisher, publishing city, date of publication, page numbers)
III.Searching for information from the Internet:
A.Go to the library catalog ()
B.Select Britannica Online. Username: austinacad Password: ktwelve. Choose High School
Edition.
1.Type in your disease name (and other desired search terms). Look carefully
through the list of available articles. Read ALL of the ones that appear to provide
information that you need. Take notes on each article, making sure to provide citation information. LOOK AT THE BOTTOM OF EACH PAGE. YOUR MLA CITATION IS ALREADY DONE FOR YOU. JUST COPY IT!
2.Now, go back to an article that you found useful. Look to the right hand side of the
article and click on “Journals and Magazines.” Look for articles here that will give
you more of the needed information. Take notes on each article. Be sure to record
the information you need to cite the source:
(Look at the “by” line in the abstract!)
3.Again, go back to an article in Britannica that you found useful. This time, click
on “The Web’s Best Sites.” Go to the sites that look useful. Take notes and record your citation information:
(Title of web site, title of web page, author, sponsoring organization, copyright or last update date), URL)
C.Go to the Center for Disease Control website at . Type in your search
terms in the search box at the top. Read the information provided and take notes. Make
sure to write down your citation information:
(Title of web site, title of web page, author, sponsoring organization, copyright or last update date), URL)
D.Go back to the library catalog. Click on EBSCO Home Page. Username: austinacad
Password: ktwelve. Choose “StudentResearchCenter.” Check only “Newspapers and
Magazines.” Type in your keyword(s) and search. Note: You may also want to scroll
down to the bottom and type “Science News” in the publication box to narrow your search
just to this magazine. Locate the articles that will help you. Read them and take notes,
Make sure to write down your citation information:
(Citation information is given on the first page that lists the articles).
E.Go back to the library catalog. Click on netTrekker. Username austinacad
Password: ktwelve. Type in your search terms in the search box at the top. Identify useful articles, read the information provided and take notes. Make sure to write down your citation information:
(Title of web site, title of web page, author, sponsoring organization, copyright or last update date), URL)
F.To get images/pictures of your disease pathogen, go to Google. Click on “images.” Type in
the name of your disease and look for pictures as seen through the microscope. Copy and paste the pictures you need into a WORD document and save it in your documents folder. Make sure to write down your citation information:
(Title of web site, title of web page, author, sponsoring organization, copyright or last update date), URL)
G.Still haven’t found everything you need? Try these websites:
National Institute of Health:
Kids Health:
Mayo Clinic:
H.Time to create your bibliography page? Go to Citation Machine at . Choose MLA style.