Big6 Research Process

1. Task Definition

What do I need to do?

1.1 Define the problem.
What does my teacher want me to do? What is my task?
1.2 Identify the information needed.
What information do I need? What questions do I want to answer?

2. Information Seeking Strategies

What can I use to find what I need?

2.1 Determine all possible sources.
What are the sources for finding information about my topic?
2.2 Select the best sources.
Which are the best sources?

3. Location and Access

Where can I find what I need?

3.1 Locate sources.
Where is each source?
3.2 Find information within sources.
Where is the information in each source?

4. Use of Information

What information can I use?

4.1 Engage the source (read, listen, view, touch).
How can I best use each source?
4.2 Extract the relevant information from the source.
What information in each source is useful?

5. Synthesis

What can I make to finish the task?

5.1 Organize information from multiple sources.
How can I organize all the information?
5.2 Present the information (result).
How can I present the result?

6. Evaluation

How will I know if I did my job well?

6.1 Judge the result (effectiveness).
Did I complete all parts of my task? Am I proud of my work?
6.2 Judge the process (efficiency).
What did I do well? What should I do differently? How can I do things better?