Research Process

Research Tool Kit

Research is a process. It takes time and sometimes requires the researcher to rethink his/her approach, reorganize the information, or even restart with a different topic. It is messy and it takes time. So researchers need to know why they do what they do in order to stay motivated.

Here are some tools to help you through the process. These tools are organized into seven "steps" 1. Although these steps or parts of the process are in a logical order, sometimes you will need to go back and re-do a step or series of steps as you grow in your understanding of a topic. For example, you may realize that you do not have enough information to support a particular point in your research and need to locate and retrieve more. Or you may realize that there is way too much information on a particular topic and so, you need to narrow it to something that can fit into a 500 word report.

Here are some general resources to help you with the research process:

Plan your research process: Research Log

Organize: Tracking Sheets & NoodleTools


Research Process

A Metaphor

Copy of Research Process

Tools for Each Step of the Process

Click on the links below to access relevant tools to help with that part of the research process

1 Define & Clarify


2 Locate & Retrieve

3 Select, Process & Record Data

4 Analyze


5 Synthesize

  • Answer research problem/question

  • Make a summary, come to a conclusion

  • Solve a problem or make a decision


6 Share & Use

  • Decide how to share learning

  • Make a plan

  • Create something new and share it with others

7 Reflect, Transfer & Apply

    • Think about how well you did

    • Talk to your teacher about what was good and what you need to work on

    • Think about why your research is important

1 Koechline & Zwaan. Build Your Own Information Literate School, Libraries Unlimited Inc, January 31 2004 ISBN 978-0931510892