Write Your First Research Report

Proof required

Share your research question (one sentence) and your list of at least three sources, each with a title and where you found it. A photo of handwritten notes or a typed list are both fine.

What gets checked

• A research question is stated as a specific question, not a topic — 'What is climate change?' is a topic; 'How does climate change affect polar bear populations in the Arctic?' is a research question with a scope that can be answered in 3–5 pages
• At least three sources are listed with enough information to locate them — 'a website' is not a source entry; the website name and article title, or book title and author, must be present for each
• At least one source is not a website — books, print encyclopedias, and school library databases all count; this requirement develops source diversity and reduces over-reliance on a single search engine

Common mistakes

• Choosing a topic so broad it cannot be answered in 3–5 pages — 'the environment' has no scope; 'the effect of ocean acidification on coral reefs' is specific enough; narrow the topic until it can be answered with the sources you can find
• Using Wikipedia as a citable source rather than as a starting point — Wikipedia's references section is useful for finding credible sources, but Wikipedia itself should not appear in the works-cited list for this report

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Check that the question is specific and answerable in 3–5 pages — a question covering an entire scientific field or historical era needs narrowing; ask the student to identify one specific aspect they want to investigate
• Count the sources: at least 3 with at least one non-website; ask the student where each one was found
• Ask the student what drew them to this question — a genuine researcher will have a reason for choosing this specific angle

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Proof required

Share your first draft (2–3 pages minimum). The draft should have an introduction, at least two body paragraphs using evidence from your sources, and a conclusion. Source labels in any format are fine at this stage.

What gets checked

• The draft has an identifiable introduction, body, and conclusion — these three parts should be clear even in a first draft; a continuous block of text with no structure does not meet the standard
• At least two body paragraphs use specific evidence from the sources — 'dolphins are smart' with no source is an opinion; 'dolphins use a system of clicks and whistles to coordinate hunting (Source 2)' is evidence attributed to a specific source
• The draft is a genuine first attempt, not a polished final version — rough sentences, incomplete transitions, and ideas that need more development are expected and correct at M2

Common mistakes

• Copying sentences directly from sources — paraphrase the idea in your own words and then add the source label; copying word-for-word without citation is plagiarism
• Skipping source labels during drafting and planning to add them later — adding citations from memory after the draft is complete produces inaccurate citations; label each piece of evidence as you write

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Check that the draft has all three structural components — introduction, body, conclusion — and that each is distinguishable
• Ask the student to point to one piece of evidence they used from a specific source — they should be able to say 'this sentence came from source 2'
• Ask what they found most surprising in the research — a student who genuinely engaged with sources will have a specific answer

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Proof required

Share your final report (3–5 pages) with a citations or works-cited section at the end. Also share: (1) who gave you feedback on the draft and (2) one specific change you made based on that feedback.

What gets checked

• The final report is 3–5 pages with a citations section listing all three sources — the page count and the citations section are the two completion markers
• At least one revision is documented — name the person who gave feedback and the specific change made; 'I revised it' without naming a change does not meet the standard
• Citations are present for all sources used — the format does not have to be perfect, but a reader must be able to identify each source from the title and location

Common mistakes

• Submitting the M2 draft as the final report without revision — a report that has not been changed since the first draft shows no engagement with feedback; revision is the learning step this milestone is designed to develop
• Adding citations after the report is complete without checking they match the sources actually used — cite only sources that appear as evidence in the body; sources you read but did not use do not belong in the works cited

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Check the citations section: are all three sources accounted for with enough information to identify each one?
• Ask the student what specific change they made based on feedback — if they cannot name a specific change, the revision step was not completed
• Confirm the report is 3–5 pages — a 2-page report did not require the research depth this outcome is designed to develop

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