An Overview of the Research Process
	Research is a circular process. As students progress through a series of steps, planning, searching for, and using information, they must continually learn to evaluate the information found. It may be helpful for students to think of the research process as a series of questions that need to be answered:   QUICK LINKS TO TOOLS QUESTION CORRESPONDING SECTION OF RESEARCH GUIDE   Graphic Organizers What is my teacher asking me to do? What do I know about my topic? What kind information do I need to find? STEP ONE: TASK DEFINITION/ INFORMATION PLANNING   Identifying Key words Identifying Descriptors Which key words should I use for searching? Which sources should I use? How can I improve my search? STEP TWO: INFORMATION SEEKING STRATEGIES   Public library catalogs: Nassau Suffolk How do I access information? Where can I look beyond the library? Where in my source will I find the information that I need? STEP THREE: LOCATION & ACCESS   Evaluating Web Sites Avoiding Plagiarism Bibliography Form How do I know if my Internet sources are accurate? What will I do with the information that I find? How do I keep track of my information? STEP FOUR: USE INFORMATION   Basic guide to essay writing Citing sources inside the text of a paper Constructing a bibliography Do I have enough information? How do I organize my facts? How do I cite my sources? STEP FIVE: SYNTHESIS/ ORGANIZING INFORMATION   Guide to grammar & writing General Checklist Does my work need to be revised? Should I ask someone else to evaluate my work? What will I do differently for future assignments? STEP SIX: EVALUATION This research guide and our integrated library skills program follow the The Big6 Skills? Model of Information Problem-Solving by Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz.