The research process

I have been thinking a lot about research models this week as I work on a collaborative unit plan with my sixth grade social studies team.  Over the course of my 21-year career as a lawyer and during my 20 years of education leading up to that career, I have done a fair bit of research!

But how did I learn to do research?  When I think back on my education, I do not recall ever learning a specific, named process for engaging in research and inquiry.  I do recall learning the SQ3R method (survey, question, read, recite, review) for reading comprehension and, of course, the scientific method in obtaining my biology degree, but I cannot think of a single generalized/generalizable mnemonic device or system of research that I learned!  Even in my compulsory research and writing course in law school, we went through the legal research process without naming it.

Over my years of schooling and preparing book reports, term papers, and science projects, I essentially absorbed a fairly linear process:  pick a topic, research it, narrow it, research it some more, prepare to explain it to someone else, present the final product, reflect on how it went and how it could go in the future!  Rinse and repeat.  As I became more skilled in research through college, law school, and career, I realized that the process is more recursive and circular than linear.

What I absorbed almost by osmosis has been distilled into various models: Stripling’s Model of Inquiry, the Big 6, the Super 3, Kulthau’s Information Search Process.  Each of these methods (and the many, many more helpfully outlined by Eduscapes) represents an attempt to create a structure through which students can learn how to conduct research, and I view them as largely interchangeable.  They key for librarians and teachers is to pick the one (or a few) that will most resonate with learners. 

The Big 6 and Super 3 - with their catchy titles – do provide a hook for helping students remember that there is a process to be followed, but I really like Stripling’s model.  Fontichiaro (2009) makes clear how the Stripling model can work very well in the K-12 context in which I work.  I also like Kulthau’s (Jewell, 2015; Maniotes, 2017) focus on the emotional aspects of research.  I may end up using Big 6 as a tool for students while informing my instruction with the Stripling and Kuhlthau models.

 

References

Fontichiaro, K. (2009). Nudging toward inquiry (AASL 2009) [Video]. Vimeo.com. https://vimeo.com/7715376

Jewell, A. (2015, October 13). Carol Kuhlthau’s information search process model [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/bhthgqqXuXA

Maniotes, L. (2017, July 17). Dr. Carol Kuhlthau distinguished professor emerita talks of her research on the ISP [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/gytquheF7Aw