Using PowerPoint to conduct and report on your research typically involves accessing the PowerPoint Research task pane. The Research service in Microsoft Office allows you to use free resources such as the Microsoft Encarta multimedia encyclopedia. You can also access fee-based services such as Factiva, HighBeam Research and Thomson Gale Company Profiles. Using PowerPoint, you can also create a research poster to display your facts, figures and analyses.
Instructions
- 1
Open PowerPoint to create a new document. Configure the page by clicking the "Home" menu tab and selecting the "Page Setup" option. Set the dimensions for the page based on the size of the poster you want to print. For example, enter "48" as the width and "36" as the height. Click the "OK" button.
2Press the "CTRL/S" keys to save your file. Name your poster and include a version number. Save your file frequently during your research process and change the version number each time. If you make a mistake, you can open a previous version.
3Select "Research" from the "Review" menu tab. In the "Search for:" box, enter a word or phrase related to your topic. From the "Research Sources" drop-down menu, select the resource you want to search through, such as "Bing." Click the "Start searching" arrow to begin searching. The "Research" task pane displays the results. Search individual sources or groups of sources labeled "All Reference Books," "All Research Sites" or "All Business and Financial Sites."
4Enter the first few letters of the topic and then click the "Start searching" button. In the "Can't find it?" section of the Research task pane, click the best match for your search. Click on the links displayed to access information about your topic and conduct research necessary for decision making.
5Activate additional research services by clicking the "Research options" link and selecting the check boxes for the services you want. Click the "OK" button. Click the "Get services on Office Marketplace" link to locate new services and add them to your display.
6Add content from other sources to your page. Cut and paste content from other Microsoft Office files by selecting the content and pressing the "CTRL/C" keys to copy content. Press the "CTRL/V" keys to paste the research content onto your page. Select the text and change the font and font size. For example, select "Arial" and "36" for your research poster. Add text, graphics and color to design a poster that effectively conveys the results of your research efforts.
