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A1.7 · Record research information with appropriate documentation

Learn to record research information with appropriate documentation through clear examples and targeted practice.

Ontario Grade 10 Science

Scientific Investigation and Careers

A practical guide to tracking what you learn and where it came from

Suppose you are researching how trees affect the amount of shade in a schoolyard. You find useful information on a webpage, write down one fact, and close the page. Later, you cannot remember the page’s title or which fact came from it. The information may be correct, but it is hard to check or use responsibly. Documentation is the record of where research information came from. It helps you check evidence, give credit, and return to a source. In this lesson, you will practise keeping that record as you research.

What you will learn

Explain why research notes need a clear record of their sources.
Record key details about a source so another person can find it.
Separate your own words from a source’s exact words.
Connect claims in your work to the sources that support them.

1. Start with a familiar research habit

In Grade 9, you may have used observations or information from a source to support an explanation. A source is where information comes from. It could be a book, an article, a report, or a webpage. When you use a source, you need to keep enough information to identify it later.

Research information includes facts, explanations, observations, images, and data that you collect from sources. Data means recorded information, such as a count, measurement, or survey response. In this lesson, documentation means the details that identify a source and show how you used it.

Documentation is useful even when you are taking notes only for yourself. A note without its source can become separated from the evidence that supports it. If you later use the note in a report, you may not be able to confirm it or credit its source.

A source is where research information comes from.
Documentation records the source and connects it to the information you use.
Make source notes when you first find useful information, not after you have forgotten its origin.

2. Record enough information to find the source again

Imagine that a school library webpage says that its garden has several native plant species. If you write only “library garden page,” you may not be able to find the same information later. A stronger source record includes the creator or organization, the title, the date if shown, and where you found it. For an online source, record the webpage address. If the page gives no date, do not guess; mark the date as not provided.

A source record is a short set of details about one source. Use a consistent format so you can scan your notes. A simple format for a webpage is: creator or organization; page title; publication or update date, if shown; website name; webpage address; date you accessed it. The access date is the day you viewed the source. It can help you identify the version you saw if a page changes.

For a book, useful details usually include the author, title, publication year, and publisher. For an article, include its author, title, publication name, date, and page numbers if available. The exact details depend on the type of source. Follow the format your teacher requests when one is given. There is not only one citation style for every classroom task.

A citation is a brief reference in your work that points readers to a source record. Some assignments use a short name and date in the text; others use a numbered note. The full source details are often collected in a reference list. A reference list is the organized list of sources used in the work. Follow the teacher’s directions about which format to use.

Record the source’s identifying details while it is open.
Do not invent missing authors, dates, titles, or other details.
Use the documentation format requested for the assignment.

3. Keep notes connected to their sources

A research note should make clear both what you learned and where you learned it. One simple method is to give each source a label, such as Source A, and write that label beside every note taken from it. Keep the full source record under the same label. A label is only a temporary organiser; your final report may need citations in a different format.

When you take notes, distinguish a direct quotation from a paraphrase. A direct quotation repeats the source’s exact words. Put those words in quotation marks in your notes and record the page or section, if available. A paraphrase restates an idea in your own words. It still needs a connection to its source because the idea came from that source.

Changing a few words in a source sentence does not make it your own explanation. Read the source, set it aside, and write the idea in a new way that keeps its meaning. Then compare your note with the source to make sure you have not changed the meaning. Add the source label as soon as you write the note.

Keep observations separate from interpretations. An observation is something recorded directly, such as “the shaded plot had fewer visible dry patches.” An interpretation is an explanation of what an observation may mean. If the sentence came from a source, identify that source. If it is your own interpretation of evidence, make that clear too.

Label notes so each one can be traced to its source.
Mark exact wording as a quotation; paraphrased ideas still need documentation.
Keep recorded observations distinct from explanations or conclusions.

4. Check the record before you use it

Before using a research note, ask whether another person could locate the source from the details you recorded. Check that the title and creator are accurate. For a webpage, check that the address works and that it leads to the page you used. Record a section heading or page number when that helps someone locate a particular detail.

Then check the link between the note and the source. Does the source actually support the claim you plan to make? Does your paraphrase keep the source’s meaning? Have you marked exact words as a quotation? These checks help prevent mistakes and make your work easier to review.

Documentation does not prove that every source is correct. It allows you and your reader to inspect where information came from. Choose sources thoughtfully, and do not present an unsupported claim as if a citation alone proves it.

Use safe and responsible research practices. For online research, use school-approved sites and follow your teacher’s instructions. Do not share personal information or copy material into a public space without permission. If research involves people, private records, or physical materials, follow teacher directions and school rules. This lesson does not ask you to collect new measurements or conduct an experiment.

Check that source details are accurate and that the source supports the note.
Documentation makes information traceable; it does not guarantee that information is correct.
Follow school and teacher instructions when accessing or recording information.

A simple research-note record

Note	Type of note	Source connection	What to check
A source’s exact sentence	Direct quotation	Quotation marks and source label; page or section if available	Words match the source exactly
An idea restated in your own words	Paraphrase	Source label and citation in the required format	Meaning is accurate and wording is your own
A statement based on your own thinking	Interpretation	Make clear it is your interpretation; document any evidence it uses	Evidence and interpretation are not confused

Worked example

Build a usable webpage source record

Hypothetical source: A school district webpage is titled “Shade Trees at Northview School.” The organization is Northview District. The page shows an update date of May 8, 2024. The website is called Northview District Learning, and the webpage address is northview.example/shade-trees. You viewed it on October 3, 2025. Record the source details without adding information that was not supplied.

Identify the source
This is a webpage, so record the organization responsible for it and the page title. The organization is given, so there is no need to guess an individual author.
Add the available dates and location
Record the page’s update date because it is shown. Add the website name and address so the page can be located again. Include the date you viewed it as the access date.
Check for unsupported details
No individual author or publication date is provided. Do not invent either one. If your required format asks for a missing detail, follow your teacher’s directions for showing that it was not provided.

Answer: Organization: Northview District. Page title: “Shade Trees at Northview School.” Update date: May 8, 2024. Website: Northview District Learning. Address: northview.example/shade-trees. Accessed: October 3, 2025.

Check: The record uses only the supplied details and gives a reader several ways to identify and locate the webpage.

Worked example

Connect a paraphrase to its source

Hypothetical source text from a report says, “In the sample schoolyard, the west side remained shaded for a longer part of the afternoon than the open court.” You want to note this finding without copying the exact sentence. Make a paraphrase note and show how to connect it to the source.

Keep the meaning
The source compares two places and reports that one stayed shaded longer during the afternoon. Preserve that comparison rather than adding a reason the source did not give.
Write the idea in new wording
A suitable paraphrase is: “The report found that afternoon shade lasted longer on the schoolyard’s west side than in the open court.” This changes the wording while keeping the reported finding.
Attach the source label
Write the source label beside the note, such as “Source B.” Keep the report’s author, title, date, and location in the source record under Source B. Use the citation format your teacher requires in the finished work.

Answer: Note: The report found that afternoon shade lasted longer on the schoolyard’s west side than in the open court. Source: Source B.

Check: The note is a paraphrase, not a quotation, and it stays linked to the source that reported the finding.

Worked example

Repair notes that have lost their source

Hypothetical research notes include two claims: “The garden has six kinds of native plants” and “The garden is healthier than the lawn.” The first came from a webpage, but its title and address were not recorded. The second is your own opinion; no source or comparison data was collected. What should you do before using these claims in a report?

Recover the first source
The plant count is presented as information from a webpage, but the record is incomplete. Look for the page in your browsing history or research notes. Confirm the claim and record the page’s identifying details. If you cannot find or verify the source, do not use the claim as supported research information.
Review the second claim
“Healthier” is an unclear judgement here, and the notes contain no evidence for it. Do not present it as a research finding. Remove it or replace it with a clear statement supported by appropriate information that you can document.
Keep claims traceable
Before drafting, ensure that each source-based claim points to a source record and that personal interpretations are identified as your own. This makes it possible to check which information supports each statement.

Answer: Find and verify the webpage before using the plant-count claim, then complete its source record. Remove or support the “healthier” claim; do not present it as established information.

Check: A claim with missing documentation is not ready to use, and an unsupported opinion should not be presented as a research finding.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Saving only a webpage address.

Correction: Record the creator or organization, title, date if shown, website name, address, and access date when appropriate. These details make the source easier to identify.

Thinking a paraphrase does not need a citation because the wording changed.

Correction: A paraphrase still uses an idea from a source. Keep it connected to that source.

Adding a date or author that seems likely.

Correction: Record only details you can confirm. Follow your teacher’s directions for missing information.

Assuming a citation means a claim is definitely correct.

Correction: A citation shows where the information came from. You still need to check whether the source supports the claim.

Lesson summary

Documentation records where research information came from.
Capture useful source details while you have the source open.
Link every quotation and paraphrased idea to its source.
Keep observations, source information, and your own interpretations distinct.
Check that each source record is accurate and that each claim is supported.

Check your understanding

Question 1

You paraphrase an idea from a webpage. What should you do?

Add the source connection because the idea came from that webpage.
Leave out the source because the sentence uses different words.
Put quotation marks around the paraphrase and omit the source.
Record a source only if you copied an entire paragraph.

Show answer and explanation

Add the source connection because the idea came from that webpage.

A paraphrase changes the wording, but the idea still comes from the source. Keep the paraphrase linked to that source.

Question 2

A webpage does not show a publication date. What is the best choice?

Guess a date based on the page’s appearance.
Use the date you accessed it as if it were the publication date.
Do not invent a publication date; follow the required format for missing details.
Leave out every other detail about the webpage.

Show answer and explanation

Do not invent a publication date; follow the required format for missing details.

Use details that can be confirmed. The access date records when you viewed the page; it is not the publication date.

Question 3

What does documentation help a reader do?

Know that every claim is automatically true.
Find and check the sources used for the information.
Avoid considering whether a source supports a claim.
Treat an opinion as measured evidence.

Show answer and explanation

Find and check the sources used for the information.

Documentation makes sources traceable. Readers still need to check whether the evidence supports each claim.

Key terms

Source: A place or item from which research information comes, such as a book, report, or webpage.
Documentation: A record that identifies sources and connects them to information used in research.
Direct quotation: The exact words copied from a source and marked as a quotation.
Paraphrase: An idea from a source restated in your own words while keeping its meaning.
Citation: A brief reference in your work that points to a source record.
Reference list: An organized list of the sources used in a piece of work.
Access date: The date you viewed an online source.
Observation: Information recorded directly from something noticed or measured.

Continue through SNC2D

View the complete SNC2D Ontario Grade 10 Science curriculum and lessons

About this lesson and its review

Published by DoAssignment. This reviewed lesson follows Ontario Grade 10 Science (SNC2D), expectation A1.7. It is a study resource, not an official curriculum publication.

Before publication, content is checked for structure, mathematical or chemical notation, calculations, course boundaries, and readability. Errors can still occur, so corrections are welcomed.

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