Information Seeking Strategies
Big6 #2 (pg. 10)

Researchers' Journal

Your research journal is a very important part of your research process.   It will help you think about what you are learning and what you want to do and say next.  

This is what to write in your journal.

First, write the date. Then write down:

1.  What I did today.

2.  What I think and feel about it.

Other times when you finish a Big6 step, ask yourself the questions that are listed in the Research Web on the other Journal pages.

To help you know what to write in your journal, click the step you just worked on in your research process.

1. Task Definition -- I'm trying to figure out what to do

2. Information Seeking Strategies -- I'm trying to figure out where to look

3. Location and Access -- I'm trying to find my sources

4. Use of Information -- I want to know how to get the information out of my sources

5. Synthesis -- I want to put all this together into a presentation or project

6. Evaluation -- I'm finished! I'm ready to give myself a grade

If you have time, check out this link. It has some REALLY good ideas for writing in journals! SCORE: Journal. (Click the BACK button to return here!)

1. Task Definition

In your journal, write the answers to the following questions:

1. Why am I doing this project?

2. What do I think I'll get out of it?

3. What is it that I want to know? (What is my problem?)

4. What kind of information do I need to find out the answer?

5. What else could I ask about this topic?

Doing number 5 above is called Brainstorming.  You can read more about it by following the Brainstorming link.

2. Information Seeking Strategies

In your journal, write the answers to the following questions:

1. What sources will I use to find my information? (make myself a list) Remember, a source can be books, newspapers, magazines, computers, and people.

2. From this list I wrote, which are the best two or three sources for the answers to my questions? (It's ok to ask someone's opinion about this.)

3. Why did I pick those two or three sources?

3. Location and Access

In your journal, write the answers to the following questions:

1. Where did I go to get my information? (make a table like this example in your journal)

2. Here are some problems I had with this step:

3. Who did I have to ask for help?  What did they say?

4. Am I still looking for the same thing as when I started in Task Definition?      If I'm not, what am I looking for now?       What made me change?

4. Use of Information

In your journal, write the answers to the following questions:

1. How did I get my information out of my sources?    (make a table like this example in your journal)

2. Did I take notes any different ways than this table?     (for example, use an outline, or draw pictures)

3. Would I do it a different way the next time?     What would I do instead?

4. Did the information I got answer my question?

5. Is my information accurate?     Do the sources tell me anything about the author?     Does the author know what he or she is talking about?

6. What do I think about my findings?     Do I need to ask more questions?     What are other questions I need to ask?

7. Do I have enough information for my project?     If not, what will I do next?

5. Synthesis

In your journal, write the answers to the following questions:

1. How can I decide what kind of presentation I want to do?     [You might look at a list of presentations and see which ones are good for your kind of information.]]

2. How can I use the information I found to make my presentation?

3. Did I have any problems with my presentation?    What were they?

4. Did anyone help me with my presentation?     How?

6. Evaluation

In your journal, write the answers to the following questions:

1. Did I answer the questions I asked, or learn information that I wanted to learn?

2. Did I do the very best I could on this presentation?

3. Where could I have done better? (Which Big6 step and why?)

4. Was my presentation a good choice for the information I had?

5. If I had to do this project again, what would I do differently?

6. How am I a better researcher now than I was before?