Info Seeking Process

 

An information problem exists when you recognize that there is a gap between what you already know and what you need to know to solve a problem or make a decision. You may need to gather information for a research paper, a project, or a speech.

Whatever the specific gap in knowledge, there are five steps to solving any information problem. The time you spend on each step will vary, and you often need to revisit a step more than one time.

Step 1. Define - Define the problem
Step 2. Strategize - Develop plan to solve problem
Step 3. Seek & Evaluate - Find the information
Step 4. Use & Evaluate - Engage (read, hear, view, etc.) the information and extract what you want to use (take notes, copy, cite)
Step 5. Synthesize - Put it all together

Next: an in-depth look at each of these steps.

NOTE: A graphical view of the five steps may be helpful when viewing this process