Danville VT School Library

Research : How To

Inquiry: How do we structure our research?

The foundation of research is Inquiry - what do we need to know? Why? How will we share what we've learned? There are many models of inquiry you can use to guide you through the research process. A great example is the Stripling Model of Inquiry:

The Steps of Inquiry (from Emerging America: Stripling Model of Inquiry) :

Image from the Empire State Information Fluency Continuum, and is a diagram of the Stripling Model of Inquiry.

Connect: Provide detailed context to the sources and connect to the major themes of study.
Wonder: Develop focus questions at different levels of thought and connect to larger themes for the unit of study.
Investigate: Determine the main ideas and details. Investigate the purpose of the source and the author’s point of view.
Construct: Draw conclusions about the evidence that has been compiled.
Express: Apply new ideas to share with others.
Reflect: After every investigation, short or long, pause to ask what we learned about the inquiry process. What new skills? What approaches? What pitfalls? Also take a moment to identify new or still unanswered questions to take learning to a higher level.

Our library has the resources and staff to help you through all of these steps. If you need help with your research, come to the library, or email the librarian to set up a time to meet.