Name _______________________
Hour ________________________
Information Seeking Strategies
When a research activity is assigned, the initial instinct of many students is to use the Internet and a search engine like Google to
seek out information. To be truly “Information Literate,” however, we need to consider a wide range of sources, and then
thoughtfully select from the best of those sources to answer a particular information problem.
Big6 Skill #2: Information Seeking Strategies
a. Determine all possible sources
b. Select the best sources
In a previous activity, you worked on developing research questions to guide your search for information. In other words, you
determined WHAT information you would need. Now In step #2, you would use those research questions to help you decide which
sources would best answer those questions. When it comes to research for academic purposes, there are lots of sources available,
but each has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Possible Sources
Type of Source
Non – fiction books
Format


Print source
Digital source
Strengths
Weaknesses




Information not as current
Searches tend to be more
broad/general



Information not as in-depth
Authors not usually experts
Secondary source
information


Authors not usually experts
Secondary source
information

Information can be very
technical
Articles can be very long

Reference Sources
-Dictionaries
-Encyclopedias
-Almanacs


Print source
Digital source






Magazines/Newspapers


Print source
Digital source






Scholarly Journals


Print source
Digital source




Website

Digital source





Thorough
Author, Date, sources
listed
Written by experts and
edited
Long publishing process
High credibility
Includes overview of a
topic
Provides background
knowledge on a topic
Facts, statistics
Author, date, sources
listed
Long Publishing process
Very current
Good for topics “in the
news”/edited
Author, date listed
Shorter articles
Can be more credible
than websites
Present most scientific
and current research
available
Written by experts
Reviewed by experts
Author, date, sources
listed
Long publishing process
Primary source
Updated frequently
More current than
publications in print
Searches can be very
specific





Questionable credibility
Author, date, sources of info
may not be listed
No publishing process
Not necessarily edited
General Questions:
1. What does it mean if a source is “credible”?___________________________________________________________
If a book or article lists the sources the author used to write his book/article, how does this affect the “credibility” of
what he’s writing? __________________________________________________________________________________
2. What is the difference between a “primary” source of information and a “secondary” source of information (explain
what EACH is to show the difference!)___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Now imagine you are researching the following topics. For each topic, select the best choice for a source of information for this topic
(FROM THE CHART ON PREVIOUS PAGE). For each, list a reason (LOOK AT STRENGTHS ON PREVIOUS PAGE) as to why
that source would be useful for solving the information problem.
3. What are the major causes of World War II?
A. A non-fiction book from the history section
C. a newspaper article
(900s) about WWII
D. a dictionary
B. Just Google “World War II” and find a
website
Reason for my choice: ______________________________________________________________________________
4. Which invasive species are currently threatening the waters of Lake Michigan?
A. A science scholarly journal
C. A newspaper article
B. An encyclopedia
D. A website
Reason for my choice: ______________________________________________________________________________
5. Locate two recipes for “chicken cordon bleu. “ Compare the sodium, fat, protein, and carbohydrate content of
each recipe. Which is the healthier recipe?
A. a non-fiction cookbook
C. an almanac
B. a scholarly journal
D. a website
Reason for my choice: ______________________________________________________________________________
6. I am going to ask for a new cell phone for Christmas, but first I want to research which phone has the best options
for the price.
A. an encyclopedia
B. a non-fiction book
C. a website that compares various brands of
cell phones
D. a magazine, like Consumer Reports
Reason for my choice: ______________________________________________________________________________
7. Some scholars suggest that when Edgar Allan Poe wrote his famous short stories around 1850, he may have been
addicted to opium. What evidence exists to support or refute this claim?
A. a non-fiction book about Edgar Allan Poe
C. a website about Edgar Allan Poe
B. a scholarly journal for literary experts with a
D. a magazine
study of Edgar Allan Poe
Reason for my choice: ______________________________________________________________________________