Research Process
The Research Process
When researching, it is important to have a workflow to help organize your process. The Stripling Model of Inquiry outlines the process of research. Notice the workflow moves in both directions as moving through one step may present new ideas or problems with the research question that require returning to a previous step.
Choosing a Topic
If a specific topic is not assigned by a teacher, a topic must be chosen before research can begin. Successful research is more likely to be achieved when the topic is one that you are interested in. You should not have a strong personal opinion about the topic. Having preconceived ideas about the topic can limit research and prevent open-minded criticism in relation to the information found. Before finalizing your topic choice, speak with the librarian and teachers to ensure there are enough resources available to conduct a thorough research project.
Connect
Once a research topic has been chosen, write down connections to self, and your current knowledge relating to the topic. Research and collect background information that provides an overview of the topic.
Once you have compiled your connections to self and current knowledge it is time to find out more about the research topic. Use reference resources and other sources of general information such as newspapers and magazines to gain a broad understanding of the topic. While collecting background research, take note of keywords, key concepts, and key phrases about the topic that spark your interest. This will enable you to narrow the topic, develop initial research questions, and return better results when searching with electronic resources when the in-depth research begins.
These worksheets will help you to organize your research connections and background information:
Express
Now that an argument has been constructed and your claim has been supported it is time to share your research. Create a product that presents the research you have completed to others and apply your new knowledge to other situations where applicable. Be sure to cite all of the sources used in the final product.
These worksheets will help you organize your information as you create your product:
Wonder
After making connections and narrowing the research topic, start to develop possible research questions. “How,” “why,” and “to what extent” are good question starters that will help to ask open-ended questions. Don’t get discouraged if your initial question does not work, as you gather information and learn about the topic, it is normal to adjust, refine, and narrow the research question.
These worksheets will help you to develop your research question:
Construct
Think about all of the information you have gathered and put it together with what you already know to create your argument, organize the information from different perspectives, draw conclusions and support your claim. At this stage you may find that you need more investigation to construct your knowledge.
These worksheets will help to construct your understanding of the topic:
Investigate
When you have determined your research question it is time to start in-depth research. Use diverse resources to locate primary and secondary sources, sources with multiple perspectives, and information to support your hypothesis and answer the research question. In addition, evaluate sources to ensure they are credible and accurate and that you are aware of any bias in the sources. Information discovered at this stage should highlight new questions and hypotheses. You may need to go back to the wonder stage to refine the question as you gain more knowledge about your topic. Document all of the sources with citations as you take notes and organize your information. There is more information on investigating in the Locating Sources and Evaluating Sources sections of the guide.
These worksheets will help you to organize your research:
Finding Information from Alternate Perspectives
Reflect
Reflection should take place after each step in the research process and again before you present or turn in your final product. You should be constantly evaluating your work. This will save time in the end as you should only need minor adjustments once you have completed your product.
These worksheets will help you to evaluate your work:
Self Assessment During the Research Process