Research+process

This is a suggested process to follow when conducting your research from our Be a Smarter Learner class.

Define your topic Be careful of using a topic which is too broad An encyclopedia may help you to get ideas and to narrow a topic that is too broad Think about what kinds of information you’ll need Think about where you’ll find your information Think about your timeline Brainstorm search terms – narrower, broader, synonyms – to make you more flexible while searching Think about your timeline and what you need to achieve each week Write an outline Think about resources you intend to try. (eg. library catalog – books, encyclopedias, Internet, databases, interviews) Think about which search terms/string(s) you will use Look for information Evaluate the information you find – is it relevant and is it reliable? Refer Website Evaluation page Redefine your topic and search terms as you go, depending on what you find Keep track of what you are finding as you go along, so you can cite your sources accurately later Read your sources Take notes Include a good variety of sources and up to date information whenever appropriate Keep searching or stop, depending on what you’ve found Rewrite an outline if necessary Read your notes to find the information you need Rewrite from your notes, in own words Go back to your sources and take more notes if necessary Read through your work – checking content, spelling and grammar Have you fulfilled all requirements of the task? Ensure any diagrams are labelled and support your topic Write a bibliography - Refer to the Bibliography guide issued in Be a Smarter Learner for the correct format
 * //__GET A TOPIC__//**
 * //__DEVELOP YOUR SEARCH STRATEGY__//**
 * //__SEARCH AND READ__//**
 * //__WRITE YOUR PAPER, SPEECH, PRESENTATION, ETC.__//**
 * //__CITE YOUR SOURCES__//**

This process has been adapted from Birks, J. H. (2003). //Hands on Information Literacy Activites.// New York: Neals-Schuman Publishers.