Sayreville War Memorial High School Media Center: Research Tools

The Big 6 Guide

Step 1: Task Definition “What do I need to do?”

• Write down what you need to do to complete the assignment
• List information you need to complete the assignment
• Ask questions if you do not understand the task

Step 2: Information Seeking Strategies “What should I 

use?”

• Brainstorm all possible resources
• (ie: nonfiction books, databases, magazine articles, videos, etc...)
• Choose the best resources

Step 3: Location and Access “Where are my sources?”

• Find the resources (in the library, online, through databases, etc....)
• Decide how to find information within the resources
  • use content page, index, etc...
  • remember to focus only on the information that applies to your task

Step 4: Use of Information “What do I take from my sources?”

• Find information in the resources
  • ​​​​​​​skim and scan
• Write down important notes 

Step 5: Synthesis “Look what I can do!”

• Organize your notes
  • create an outline 
• Create your final draft

Step 6: Evaluation “What do you think?”

• Judge your finished assignment 
• Judge the process you went through to complete the assignment

Developed by Michael Eisenberg and Robert Berkowitz, the Big 6 is an approach used to teach people of all ages research and problem-solving skills.  Eisenberg and Berkowitz acknowledge that in today’s world, people are inundated with information from various sources (books, newspapers, television, Internet, etc).  They argue that society’s solution to dealing with so much information is to teach people simply how to do things more quickly.  This, however, can lead to information overload.  Eisenberg and Berkowitz developed the Big 6 to teach people how to work smarter, not faster.

This database connects you to a number of helpful videos and tutorials all about research.  

To log in, click on "Enter username and password." 

https://search.credoreference.com/learning_tools

To sign in to Learn 360 use the same username and password you use for all other databases.

Check out this great video, Research and Library Skills