Activities show students how to synthesize research without copying the information. Students think critically about what they read and about how they can use that information when conducting research. The book recognizes four modes of thinking and then matches research activities to types of students who reflect that mode. Types include the 'thinker,' the 'mover,' the 'nurturer,' and the 'creator.'
The standard research paper encourages copying and data dumping. Using the strategies in Research Without Copying students
* think critically about what they read and hear by seeking facts that support the data * use information in a variety of ways rather than to simply copy information * learn research skills and practices those skills * change the product so that they must locate, read, comprehend, analyze, and synthesize information * learn proven methods and models moving to analyzing and synthesizing data rather than rote copying of data * see actual product models that they feel competent in gathering and using data * find topics for every day of the school year so they can explore a broad spectrum of knowledge through research