Instruction & Research Support at Lavery Library

Inquire is about exploring a topic and planning ahead. This is when individuals (or teams) begin to investigate a topic, and may involve cursory searches with online reference materials, Google searches, or reading a textbook.  It is typically the first phase of any research project.

There are two guiding questions the Outcomes under this Heading are trying to answer:

1. What information do I need to understand my topic?
2. What's my plan for gathering information?

Gather is the about strategically searching for and retrieving information. This is the stage of research where individuals are typically making their way to the Library databases and collections, or other search tools, and developing searches using keywords.

There are three guiding questions the Outcomes under this Heading are trying to answer:

1. How will I develop a search strategy?
2. Where will I search?
3. How will I modify and track my search?

Evaluate is about assessing the information an individual (or team) has assembled for validity, and its ability to fit the information need. This is typically the point in the research process where information sources are reviewed in relation to scholarly, trade, and popular journal publishing standards, and on whether they help to answer the question(s) asked in during the Inquire phase.

There are three guiding questions the Outcomes under this Heading are trying to answer:

1. Do I have what I need?
2. Is my information valid in context?
3. What is the information ecosystem?

Integrate is about citing, using, and managing the information an individual (or team) finds during the Gather and Evaluate stages of research. This is the step in research where researchers are not only reading the information, but synthesizing and drawing conclusions based on what they are reading. Researchers are also creating a method in which to organize the found information and making sure they are using the information ethically.

There are three guiding questions the Outcomes under this Heading are trying to answer:

1. How do I cite?
2. How do I manage?
3. How do I synthesize?

Create is when the individual (or team) is adding their voice to the conversation. At this point researchers are not only deciding where to share their new information, but what medium will work for dissemination. It is the last stage of the research process.

There are two guiding questions the Outcomes under this Heading are trying to answer:

1. How do I share?
2. Where do I share?