The AP Research exam is coming up, make sure that you know when you are taking the test and using all of the resources available on Fiveable to help you study!

AP Research Cheat Sheet PDF & Review Chart

Use this review chart to help guide your preparation for the AP Research exam. This guide has tips about the Academic Paper and the guidelines for the oral defense and presentation.

AP Research

Understand how to question and explore in AP Research. We cover everything from finding a topic of inquiry to outlining to credibility of sources to ethical reseach practices. These resources should help you write a strong academic paper for AP Research.

Unit 1 – Question & Explore

Dig deeper into how to understand and analyze sources in AP Research. We review everything from inductive & deductive reasoning to line of reasoning to relevance & credibility of sources to validity of arguments to biases, in order to improve your academic paper!

Unit 2 – Understand & Analyze

Learn how to evaluate multiple perspectives in these AP Research guides. We cover everything from implications & limitations of arguments to patterns & trends to contradictions to author's perspective in order to add a new dimension to your AP Research paper!

Unit 3 – Evaluate Multiple Perspectives

Master how to synthesize ideas in AP Research. We cover the essentials for a strong academic paper: developing a thesis, point of view, supporting evidence, line of reasoning, interdisciplinary approach, print & nonprint sources, primary & secondary sources, conclusion, commentary, citation style, plagiarism, and much more!

Unit 4 – Synthesize Ideas

Understand how to transport and transmit your academic paper in AP Research. We cover the essentials for a strong academic paper: audience, context, purpose, counterarguments, rebuttals, refutations, concessions, introduction, thesis, evidence, commentary, conclusion, bibliography, methodology, findings, future impact, writing style, and more!

Unit 5 – Team, Transform, & Transmit

Master the academic paper in AP Research: writing the literature review & discussion & analysis & conclusion, institutional review board, topic of inquiry, types of research methods (quantitative & qualitative), ethical experimentation, confidentiality, voluntary participation, bibliography, citation styles, imitations, and much more!

The Academic Paper

Frequently Asked Questions

AP Cram Sessions 2021

Study Tools

Introduction to AP Research

❓ What is AP Research?

How to Find A Topic of Inquiry

What Even is a Topic of Inquiry?

Finding a Broad Focus

Narrowing a Focus and Finding a Gap in the Research

What is a Gap?

A Note on Credibility and Choice of Sources

Conclusion

Big Idea 1 Overview: Question and Explore

Identifying a problem or issue and developing a question about it

Formulating Research 

Personal Experiences

Concept Mapping

Finding and organizing the information you need to answer the question

Here are some strategies to gather your information:

🥳   Start with primary and secondary sources

Bibliography 

Boolean Operators

Gather and organize your information

Evaluating the sources of information you use

Credibility

Credibility Techniques

Exceptions

Looking at the problem or issue from different perspectives

What is Reading Critically?

Critical Reading Skills 

Preview and Prioritize

Scanning

Skimming

Questioning

Rereading

Making Meaning

Annotating

Note-Taking

Highlighting

Reading Aloud

What Are We Reading For? 

Reading critically for a purpose

Essential Questions for Big Idea 2

Essential Question 1: Text Comprehension Strategies

Essential Question 2: Main Idea and Line of Reasoning

Essential Questions 3 and 4: Evidence Use and Argument Complexity

Essential Question 5: Evaluate the Work of Others

Line of Reasoning 

What does a Line of Reasoning Look Like?

Types of Reasoning

Validity of an Argument 

Rhetorical Strategies

Looking for Logical Alignment

Acknowledgement of Complexity

Why Does This Matter? 

Explaining and analyzing the line of reasoning of an argument

The Art of Evidence ⚔️

Context Matters!

Evidence Check!

What is this evidence doing here?

In Conclusion...

Evaluating the evidence an author uses to support their argument

Identifying Implications

Brainstorming Questions for Identification

Analyzing Implications

Brainstorming Questions for Analysis

Assessing potential resolutions, conclusions, or solutions raised by an argument

Essential Questions for Big Idea 3

Identify, Compare, Interpret

Evaluate, Predict, Judge

Big Idea 3 Overview: Evaluate Multiple Perspectives

Identifying

Identifying Factors

Comparing

Comparing Factors

Interpreting 

Common Perspective Relationships

Identifying, comparing, and interpreting different perspectives on, or arguments about, an issue

What’s the Appeal? 

Evaluation Questions 

Validity Evaluation 

Usefulness Evaluation

Objection, Implication and Limitation Evaluation

Objections

Implications

Limitations

Evaluating objections, implications, and limitations of different perspectives or arguments

Essential Questions for Big Idea 4

Essential Questions 1 and 2: Argument Formation 

Essential Questions 3 and 4: Critical Analysis of One’s Own Work

Essential Questions 5 and 6: Plagiarism Prevention

Big Idea 4 Overview: Synthesize Ideas

AP Research Rubric Guidelines

Guideline 1: Topic Focus

Narrowing Your Topic

Guideline 2: Literature Review

Guideline 3: Identifying a Gap

Guideline 4: Research Method

Types of Research Methods

Research Method Requirements

Guideline 5: New Understanding or Conclusion 

Guideline 6: Writing Conventions

Guideline 7: Plagiarism Prevention 

Formulating a well-reasoned argument

Looking for Evidence 

Where Can We Find Evidence?

Choosing Evidence

Using Evidence

Reasoning: Your Paper’s Glue

Using data and information from various sources to develop and support an argument

Aligning Your Work With Its Discipline

What is a Discipline?

Why Does it Matter? 

How Can You Tell? 

What Next?

Properly Quoting Other Sources

Ways to Use Outside Evidence

Introduction

Integration

Attribution 

Why is this Important?

Linking evidence to claims

In Conclusion…

Where Do I Start?

Limits to Your Conclusion

What are the Limitations? 

Offering resolutions, conclusions, or solutions based on evidence

Essential Questions for Big Idea 5

Essential Questions 1, 2 and 3: Audience Engagement 

Essential Questions 4 and 5: Revision 

Essential Question 6: Feedback

Essential Question 7: Self-Reflection 

Big Idea 5 Overview: Team, Transform, and Transmit

Outline of a Research Paper

Tips for The Writing Process

Planning, producing, and revising a research paper while considering audience, context, and purpose

Adapting The Argument

Slide Design Tips

Presentation Skills

Audience Appropriate Language and the Elements of Delivery

Oral Defense

Oral Defense Questions

Tips for Success!

Presenting an argument for context, purpose, and/or audience

Self-Reflection

Ways to Self-Reflect

Self-Reflection Topics

Peer Review

Tips for Reviewing

Reflecting on one’s own and others’ writing, thinking, and creative processes

Download AP Research Cheat Sheet PDF Cram Chart

Get Ready for the AP Research Exam

Assessment Format

AP Research Cheat Sheet PDF & Review Chart

Download AP Research Cheat Sheet PDF Cram Chart

Get Ready for the AP Research Exam

Assessment Format

AP Research Cheat Sheet PDF & Review Chart

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