The ResearchQuest cast
Each friend shows you one idea by how they act. Meet them all and see how the ideas fit together.
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Wonder Question-formulation — narrowing vague interest into focused, answerable research questions -
Vet Source-evaluation — CRAAP test (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose) -
Quote Note-taking — quoting + paraphrasing + summarizing; keeping voices separate -
Synth Synthesis — combining evidence across multiple sources; finding agreement, disagreement, gaps -
Tether Citation — attribution + bibliography; gratitude + map back to sources -
Survey Background reading — read around a topic to learn the lay of the land before narrowing (W.7) -
Trawl Search strategy — cast a wide net of keywords, then pull it tight; refine when it comes back wrong (W.8) -
Crosscut Lateral reading / corroboration — don't trust one page; cross-check a claim across independent sources -
Verdict Forming a thesis — gather the evidence, then take a stand; 'here's what I think, and here's why' (W.1) -
Wellspring Primary vs secondary sources — trace a claim upstream to its original, firsthand source