Grade 8 · Research and Explanation · Short Research
Short Research Project and Citation
Turn a topic into a researchable question.
Learning objectives
- Turn a topic into a researchable question
- Judge a source's credibility
- Paraphrase and cite without plagiarising
AERO English Language Arts alignment
AERO.ELA.8.W.7
Conduct short research projects to answer a question or solve a problem, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate. Grade 8 / MYP 3 emphasis: handle subtler techniques such as irony, bias and conflicting evidence, and justify interpretations.
AERO.ELA.8.W.8
Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility of each source, quote or paraphrase accurately and avoid plagiarism. Grade 8 / MYP 3 emphasis: handle subtler techniques such as irony, bias and conflicting evidence, and justify interpretations.
AERO.ELA.8.W.1
Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons, relevant evidence and acknowledgement of alternative positions. Grade 8 / MYP 3 emphasis: handle subtler techniques such as irony, bias and conflicting evidence, and justify interpretations.
AERO.ELA.8.W.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences using effective technique, relevant descriptive detail and well-structured event sequences. Grade 8 / MYP 3 emphasis: handle subtler techniques such as irony, bias and conflicting evidence, and justify interpretations.
AERO.ELA.8.W.6
Use technology, including the internet, to produce, publish and collaborate on writing, and to present relationships between information and ideas. Grade 8 / MYP 3 emphasis: handle subtler techniques such as irony, bias and conflicting evidence, and justify interpretations.
MYP criteria
- Criterion A — Analysing
- Criterion C — Producing text
ENGAGE
From a Big Topic to a Useful Question
A school environmental group wants to investigate beach litter in Qatar. The topic is important, but “beach litter” is too broad for a 45-minute research project. You would need to decide which beach, type of litter, action or period to investigate. You would also need trustworthy evidence rather than relying on the first search result. In this lesson, you will shape a focused question, compare sources with different strengths, and present information in your own words while crediting its origin.
Think about it
- What makes a research question manageable?
- Why might two sources disagree about the same beach?
EXPLORE
Read a Research Notebook
Original extract: Investigating Beach Clean-ups
Mariam began with the question, “How can we solve ocean pollution?” She soon realised that it was too broad for a short project. She refocused it: “How effectively do school clean-ups remove visible litter from one public beach in Qatar?” This question identified an action, an outcome and a location. However, Mariam still had to decide what “effectively” meant.
Her first source was a 2025 field report by the Coastal Learning Team. Its researchers counted and classified litter before and after three organised clean-ups. The report included tables, dates and an explanation of its method. It found that clean-ups reduced visible litter immediately, but it did not measure whether litter returned later. The report therefore offered strong but limited evidence.
A local travel company’s undated webpage claimed that its supported beach was “always perfectly clean”. It provided bright photographs but no measurements or named writer. Mariam noticed possible promotional bias; the absolute claim also seemed ironic beside a request for more clean-up volunteers. A student newspaper gave interviews with volunteers who felt that visitors became more careful after participating. Mariam decided to distinguish measured litter removal from opinions about long-term behaviour.
Think about it
- Why is Mariam’s revised question more researchable than her first question?
- Which details make the field report more credible than the travel company’s webpage?
- How does Mariam respond to conflicting kinds of evidence?
EXPLAIN
Research, Evaluate, Paraphrase and Cite
1. Build a focused research question
A researchable question cannot be answered with only yes or no. It is focused enough for your available time and can be answered using evidence. Begin with a broad topic, identify a specific issue, then add a place, group, period or measurable outcome. For example, “desert plants” could become “How do two native desert plants conserve water during Qatar’s hottest months?”
| Credibility check | What to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Authority | Who created the source, and what expertise do they have? | Named and qualified authors are accountable for their work. |
| Evidence | Are claims supported by data, examples or references? | Evidence allows you to check the writer’s reasoning. |
| Currency | When was the source published or updated? | Recent evidence may be important when conditions change. |
| Purpose and bias | Is the source informing, promoting, entertaining or persuading? | A purpose may shape which facts are selected or omitted. |
| Agreement | How does the information compare with other sources? | Agreement strengthens a claim; conflict requires further investigation. |
Bias does not automatically make a source useless
A promotional webpage may still provide useful photographs or information about its own activities. However, you should not treat its unsupported praise as neutral evidence. Notice irony, exaggeration and absolute words such as “always” or “never”, then verify the claim elsewhere.
2. Paraphrase accurately
To paraphrase, read a passage, look away, state its meaning in a new structure and compare your version with the original. Keep names, dates and technical facts accurate. Changing only a few words is patchwriting, not a genuine paraphrase. For example: Original idea: researchers counted litter around three clean-ups. Accurate paraphrase: Data from three events compared the amount and type of waste present before and after volunteers worked. The idea still requires a citation.
- Place an author-date citation after a paraphrase: (Coastal Learning Team, 2025).
- For an exact quotation, copy every word accurately and add a page number when available: (Coastal Learning Team, 2025, p. 6).
- Give full publication details in a reference list: Coastal Learning Team. (2025). Beach litter field report. Education City Press.
- Never invent an author, date or page number. Use the citation style required by your school.
- Synthesis combines evidence from several sources and explains agreements, differences and limitations.
When should you refocus?
Refocus when your question is too broad, key terms cannot be measured, or available evidence answers only part of it. Record the revised question so your inquiry remains clear and honest.
MYP_PRACTICE
Plan a Mini Research Project
Choose one topic connected to school or community life. Develop a focused question, evaluate three short source descriptions, and draft a cited paraphrase. Your final notes should show why one source is stronger, how another might still help, and whether conflicting evidence requires you to narrow or revise your question.
- Choose a topic such as shade at school, desert plant conservation, pearl-diving heritage displays or reducing paper waste.
- Turn the topic into an open question with a clear group, place, period or measurable outcome.
- For each possible source, note its author, date, evidence, purpose and likely limitations.
- Write one accurate paraphrase from the strongest source and add an author-date citation.
- Write a two-sentence conclusion that compares at least two sources and states any necessary refocusing.
EXIT_TICKET
Before you close this lesson
Think about it
- What is one change that would make your research question more manageable?
- How does a citation strengthen both honesty and credibility in your writing?
Watch
How to Read a Scholarly Article
Western University · 3 min
Learn how to navigate the sections of a scholarly article and locate its central findings efficiently.
Before you watch: Which parts of a scholarly article would you examine before reading it closely?
- What information can you usually find in an abstract?
- How would you decide whether an article is relevant to your research question?
Watch
Check Yourself with Lateral Reading: Crash Course Navigating Digital Information #3
CrashCourse · 14 min
Learn to investigate online claims by leaving a page and checking what reliable external sources say about it.
Before you watch: Why might studying only one webpage give you an incomplete picture?
- What is lateral reading, and how is it different from reading vertically?
- Which outside sources would you consult to verify an unfamiliar website?
Interactive practice · source to synthesis
Build a Cited Mini-Inquiry
Use the planning frame to create a focused inquiry and a short evidence-based response. Evaluate each source before using it, paraphrase rather than patchwrite, and show clearly where the information came from.
Check your answer
Task
Your goal is to produce a focused question, a credible-source judgement, a cited paraphrase and a brief synthesis.
Steps
Sentence frames
Pick a topic
Your answer
This draft stays in this tab only. Copy anything you want to keep into your learning log below.
Key vocabulary
- researchable question
- A focused question that can be answered with available evidence.
- credibility
- The degree to which a source is trustworthy and well supported.
- paraphrase
- A source idea expressed accurately in your own words and structure.
- citation
- A reference showing where borrowed words, facts or ideas came from.
Practice questions
0/3 correct
Level 1 · Criterion A
Which source from the extract provides the strongest evidence about immediate litter removal?
Level 2 · Criterion C
Which sentence is the best cited paraphrase of the field report?
Level 2 · Criterion C
Which action avoids plagiarism most effectively?
MYP criterion tasks
Level 2 · Criterion A
Explain how Mariam could refocus her question after reading the field report.
Level 3 · Criterion A
Write a two-sentence synthesis of the field report and student newspaper, including one limitation.
Reflect & track
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