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Year 10: Term 1: Energy Drinks (Formative Assessment)

What is a Claim?

According to the QCAA Syllabus glossary, a Claim is an assertion made without any accompanying evidence to support it,

CLAIM FOR THIS TASK: 'Energy drinks should be restricted to those above 15 years of age'. 

POSSIBLE SPECIFIC RESEARCH QUESTION:  'To what extent do energy drinks have a negative effect on the …….. system of the body'. (You might look at Mental health, Risk-seeking behaviour, Increased blood pressure, Obesity, Tooth erosion, Adverse cardiovascular effects and Kidney damage).

A Research Question is defined as ‘A question that directs the scientific inquiry activity. Its purpose is to focus the research investigation, inform the direction of the research, and guide all stages of inquiry, analysis, interpretation and evaluation’. It should:
 

1.3.1 Include measurable variables – the independent and dependent variables
 

1.3.2 Have a guiding word, such as what, why, would or will
 

1.3.3 Be phrased so that a definitive answer can be developed
 

1.3.4 Be able to link the guiding word to verbs such as identify, describe, compare, contrast, distinguish, analyse, evaluate or create so that a specific task can be determined

Research Investigation Tips for Senior Science

Useful Science Websites



The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information.

An American website that aggregates press releases and publishes lightly edited press releases about science
 

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Breaks down the stories behind the most interesting news and photos on the Internet.

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Search for news articles which come from trusted news outlets, such as the Associated Press (AP) and The Atlantic, and other sources chosen for use in the classroom.

 

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Regarded as a 'porthole' site, SciTech Daily offers the best intelligent, informed science and technology coverage and analysis you can find on a daily basis, sourcing a huge range of great writers and excellent research institutes.
 

Gateway to the best Science news sources.
 

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A global science gateway comprised of national and international scientific databases and portals.

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The world’s largest biomedical library.

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Web-based medical and health news service.

 

Google Books can be very frustrating because often much of the book is missing and you are expected to purchase it to read the full content. So after you put in your search term you are interested in (eg biodiesel), and get some results up,  you should then go immediately to the search box (on the left - above 'About this box') undefined and type in a particular word or term you are interested in (eg CO2 emissions OR methanol) you should get a number of pages pop up. Choose one that looks useful - you should get some good results this way!

ONESearch

The ENTIRE collection of resources provided by the BBC Library can be searched on ONE single, powerful search platform, which retrieves print books, eBooks, database articles and websites. Click HERE for assistance.

Developing a Research Question From a Claim

Exemplar of Essay From Year 11 QCAA Website

The QCAA website has exemplars of the sorts of research assignments you need to produce.  This is the Biology one which might help you understand what you need to do!

Useful Databases

Advanced Web Searching Tips

1. Use 'Ctrl F' (Control + Find) to search for particular terms easily in a long document, whether from a website or a database article.

2.  Use a Boolean command - put double inverted commas around phrases to limit and improve your results eg "energy drinks problems".

3. Use filetype:pdf to search in Google for only pdf articles - "plastic pollution" filetype:pdf - will force Google to return results on plastic pollution which are only pdf articles (PDFs are great sources sometimes deeply buried in Google results and remain unseen).

4. Use a Google domain command eg site:edu OR site:gov to limit results to a CERTAIN DOMAIN such as education or government eg biodiesel site:edu

5.  To check the authority of a website when it is not clear who the author / authority is, go to the end of the URL in the Google search box, cut back to the first forward slash (/) and hit 'Enter'. This will take you to the Home Page of the website, and you can see the full name of the source.

6. Use a Google command to limit results to the MOST RECENT: After you get your results, choose the Google Menu Bar, and choose 'Tools'. Then on the far left, at the drop-down menu next to 'Any Time', you can choose 'Within the last year' (or less, if you prefer), but generally, you can choose 'Custom Range' at the bottom, as often the last 3 years would be sufficient for a recent search.

Useful Articles

QUT C.R.A.A.P. Test for Evaluating Websites

Check the quality of your websites using these criteria (adapted from QUT Library):

Currency: Timeliness of the information

  • When was the information published, posted or last updated?
  • Is the information current for your topic and field of study? How recent does it have to be? Can older sources work just as well?
Relevance: Importance of the information for your needs
  • Is the information appropriate for a senior secondary course?
  • Is this an adequately in-depth examination or a quick summary of the topic?
  • Who's the intended audience? Is it the general public, a student, a researcher or industry?
  • Is the level of information too basic or too advanced for your needs?

Authority: Source of the information

  • Is the author/authoring body (individual person, or institution, or organisation) established and reputable?
  • Are their qualifications, credentials, expertise, experience, educational background and previous work (if any) relevant and do they add credibility to the source?
  • Has the piece been published by a well-known and respected publisher or organisation?
  • Do references to other sources support the writing ie is a Bibliography or Reference List provided?

Accuracy: Reliability and correctness of the information

  • Where does the information come from, and is it supported by evidence?
  • Does it have a Reference List or Bibliography so you can easily find and verify the sources used?
  • Are there any spelling, grammar, or other typographical errors?

Purpose: Reason the information exists

  • What is the purpose of the information? Why was it written?
  • Does the point of view appear objective, unbiased and impartial?
  • Is the viewpoint of the author's affiliation/ sponsors reflected in the message or content?
  • Does the author acknowledge alternative versions of the issues or facts?

MyBib Referencing Generator - APA 7

Manage your bibliography using "MyBib" - Referencing - LibGuides at Melbourne High School

MyBib is an online referencing generator to help you with in text references and your List of References.

Sign up for an account so that it will store the references for your assignment. Add it to your bookmark bar to find it quickly.

Install the Chrome extension to make your referencing even faster.

How to Reference an Image in Your Essay