Step+2-Selection+Process

Welcome media type="custom" key="7658497" align="left"to Phase 2 of the Research Process!!



So you’ve defined the problem and figured out what information you need to complete the task at hand, Now What?!

It’s time to use **Information Selection Strategies**

In phase 1 of the research process you defined your problem and decided what information would be necessary to carry out the task before you. In order to move forward in the research process the next step is to determine what possible sources you will use. Once you have reviewed the available material, you can begin to select which sources will help you to best complete your task.

**This step will require you to:** 1. Search online databases and other materials · Now that you’ve named your topic, you need to gather information that will broaden your knowledge of the subject. · Be sure to search your topic in many different ways in order to ensure that you don’t miss out on useful research material. · Make sure you look for information that is varied in order to avoid bias. It is important that you review differing points of view on your topic so that you can make educated decisions about how you want to present your information. Select the sources that will strengthen your research <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">· <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #993366; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Once you’ve begun the selection process you need to look carefully at your gathered material. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">· <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #993366; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Make sure to organize your “finds” to determine what information will best support your topic. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Eliminate sources that will <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">__**not**__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">be helpful in completing your task <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">· <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #993366; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Once you’ve figured out which materials are the perfect fit for your research topic, you need to get rid of the resources that don’t add value to your research. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">· <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #993366; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When doing research it is crucial that you are able to cite your sources. Remove materials from your research that do not include an author, publication date, and publisher. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">· <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #993366; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Remove resources from your research that lack authority (i.e. materials that lack evidence to support points of view represented in the article, book, blog, etc.)

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 28pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">FUN FACT:

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 20pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">You can make the selection process easier. Use a graphic organizer to help you determine the value of your resources. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 20pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Use the example below or design your own graphic organizer to help simplify the selection process
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Title: || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Is the Author Listed? || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How Current is the information? (publication/ copyright date) || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Can you determine the author’s authority? || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How accurately does this item support your research? ||
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“The Big6 Helps Students to complete Better Research: || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yes || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Very current. Published in 2009. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Author is a librarian of 20 years who has used this process in her library for over 10 years || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Very accurately. This article offers evidence that The Big6 is a successful research pratice. ||

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**Frequently Asked Questions Related to the Selection Process:**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**What makes a something a good source?** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A good source of information focuses on answering 5 questions: Who, What, Where, When and Why? A strong source of information will not only leave readers with an understanding of the topic being discussed but also with a clear description of the people involved. A good source will explain to readers how and where the information was gathered, and for what reason it was compiled.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**How do I decide what sources will best support my research?** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The website for Big6 reminds us that different sources have different strengths. Kee <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">p the following sources in mind when starting the selection process:
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff6600; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Encyclopedias <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #993366; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> are excellent for an overview of a topic, and can help students narrow their focus as well as provide a factual background against which to measure the reliability of other information they find.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff6600; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Magazines and newspapers <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #993366; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> provide more current information than books, and can be more credible than a random selection of web sites.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff6600; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Interviews <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #993366; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> provide students with the interviewee’s personal perspective about a problem.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff6600; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Primary sources <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #993366; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> provide invaluable insights into contemporary views of historical events.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff6600; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">World Wide Web sources <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #993366; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> are updated frequently, and are often more current than publications in print.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">3. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**When should I eliminate a source from my research process?** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There are many reasons to eliminate a source from your selections, only you can really decide if a source is useful for the work you are trying to accomplish. Once you have reviewed your sources, take some time to analyze your findings. Does the source support the point of view you are trying to reflect? Is the source up-to-date? Can you cite the source? Is the source interesting to you? If you have answered no to more than one of these questions, it may be time to eliminate this source from your collection of sources.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 20pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**Links to help you in your information selection process:**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">[|__http://www.ithaca.edu/library/training/think.html__] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A great resource to help you eliminate weak sources you might find on the internet.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">[|__http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html__] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This is a great resource to help researches evaluate online resources.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">[|__http://www.ipl.org/div/aplus/specific.htm__] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Supported by The Internet Public Library, this website breaks down the different strategies necessary to complete successful online searches.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**Now that you’ve selected your sources, it’s time to move on to the next step in research:** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**Locating and Accessing Resources**