Big+Six+Research+Steps

[|The Big 6 Research Steps] (National Library Curriculum Guidelines): a. What final assignment/product do I need to create? Is is a report? Is it a speech? b. What will my final assignment/product look like? a. How will I find information needed to complete my assignment? Will I use Pioneer: Utah's Online Library? Do I need books? Do I need a digital encyclopedia? b. How will I organize my time so I can find needed information for my assignment if I do not have internet access at home? a. Where will I go to find the information that I will use for my assignment/product that will be the most reliable (updated) and valid (most likely true -- even if the opinion differs from yours)? b. Whom can I ask for help if I cannot find the information I need? (The librarians! Your teachers! Your parents!) a. What does it mean to plagiarize? (This means that you are using someone else's words and/or ideas that are not common knowledge as your own.) How can I avoid plagiarizing? b. Do I have to use all of the information I found in my report? (No!) a. How do I add new information I have found researching to my own ideas without plagiarzing? (A good technique is to summarize the research source before you use the information in your report. You will have already reworded the new information into your own words before you add it to your assignment. There are other techniques, such as direct quoting and in-text citations. Come ask us for help!) b. How do I make sure that I do not only quote one research source in one part of my report and another research source in another part of my report? (One way to do this is to look for common ideas in different sources. Make a point to quote or mention two different sources in any given paragraph where you are quoting another authority besides yourself. This is a great way to ensure some level of synthesis!) a. Were the sources I found for my assignment/product useful? Why or why not? b. Could I have spent more time finding better sources? (A student will often spend hours texting or playing a fun video game and three minutes looking for a source. Remember that source finding is the same amount of clicking and brings a greater reward than texting or video game playing: a chance to go to college, if one writes well! We would often not buy the first pair of jeans we see at the store! Treat your research assignments the same. Look around. Find the best article on Pioneer! Reseraching sources is like dating -- the first source you meet might not be the right one.)
 * 1. Task Definition**
 * 2. Information Seeking Strategies**
 * 3. Location and Access**
 * 4. Use of Information**
 * 5. Synthesis**
 * 6. Evaluation**