The Information Process

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Skills for accessing, evaluating and using information form part of The Information Process. Students are able to develop these skills each time they conduct an investigation or do a research assignment. While using this process students can achieve outcomes across all learning areas. The following checklist is a guide to becoming an information literate person.

1. Defining information needs
    • What do I know about this topic?                                            
    • What do I need to find out? (Focus questions)
    • What words would be good search terms? (Keywords)
2. Locating information
    • Design a search strategy incorporating all available resources.
    • Search the library catalogue, CD-ROMs, Internet, journals and other resources.
    • Refine your search terms to make your search broader or narrower.
3. Selecting information
    • Select information by skimming and scanning resources.
    • Use indexes and tables of content.
    • Evaluate information critically - be aware of bias, prejudice and inconsistencies.
    • Does the source of information have authority?
    • Make notes of relevant information in a notemaking framework addressing focus questions.
    • Record author, title, URL, date etc.
4. Organising information
    • Combine information from different sources.
    • Look for gaps in the information collected. GO BACK TO 2 if necessary.
    • Outline the plan for your final copy.

5. Creating and sharing information
    • Prepare a draft copy and edit it.
    • Complete final copy.                           
    • Compile bibliography.
6. Evaluating the process and the product
    • Evaluate the process you used to achieve your end product.
    • Evaluate your assignment. Have you successfully addressed the research task?

Your teachers and peers may also evaluate your process and product.