ResearchingUsing the Big6™ Method

Overview of the Process

What is Big6™?

A process for good research methods

A guide to keep you on track

Useful for your entire life

The process is more important than the product! It’s a skill you can use forever!

Step 1: Task Definition What did your

teacher ask you to find?

What kind of information are you looking for?

What kind of final project are you supposed to present?

Think before you act!

Step 2: Information Seeking

Strategies What are all the possible places you could find the information you need?

What would be the best sources? Pay

attention!

Possible Sources Books Magazines Newspapers Databases Internet Images Videos Recordings Multimedia projects

Which sources are best to use for this assignment?

“Let’s just Google it. Everybody Googles.”

Are you smart enough not to follow the crowd?

Destiny Resources You can find books, Public Lists, and Online Resources. Look in the Resource Lists, check the tab that says

Public Lists, and see the tabs that say Library Materials (books only) and Online Resources (websites that Ms. Ballard gathered for your assignment).

Step 3: Location and Access

You can’t be lazy! You have to get up and go get it!

Go find the sources of information

Look inside the sources for the information using search strategies

Are you going to get up and go

get dinner?

No way. You go!

Don’t forget to look…

In the Table of Contents of a book

In the index In the other extras that a

book may offer (Read the “how to use this book” section.)

Many new books also list websites to continue your learning. Check the end pages of the books to see if you get lucky!

Also, ask the librarian!

She can gather sources in advance when the teacher has given her notice!

She can find information quickly and show you how also!

Step 4: Use of Information Engage Means read,

hear, watch, understand

Extract Means take out

the information you need from the sources you gathered

Don’t just swallow it whole! Break it into

small bites!

Step 5: Synthesis Organize Means putting

your information in a useful order

Present Will you write a

report, give an oral presentation, make a visual aid, use a PowerPoint presentation?

Make it showy!

Step 6: Evaluation Judge the

Result How good was your

project?

Judge the Process

What did you learn from going through these steps?

Stick to the plan, be patient, do the work,

and you get your reward!

by Charlotte Ballard, Librarian

Sources for Big6™ included The Definitive Big6™ Workshop Handbook by Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz