Information Literacy

Research as Inquiry

Research as Inquiry refers to the idea that research is an iterative process in which the questions that are asked and answers found produce new and increasingly complex questions, disagreements, and lines of inquiry to follow. This is true across academic disciplines, as well as in work and private life.

Objectives

Students should be able to:

  • Develop questions and lines of inquiry based on gaps in or conflicting information.
  • Determine an appropriate scope of inquiry
  • Take a complex research project and break it down into smaller steps and question
  • Employ a range of research strategies
  • Synthesize idea from multiple sources
  • Draw conclusions based on analysis of information
  • Understand that research is an ongoing and open-ended process
  • Value curiosity and open mindedness
  • Maintain a critical perspective on information gathered
  • Seek diverse points of view on a subject
  • Find and use information ethically

Big Questions

Big Questions:

  • What does it mean to approach research with an open mind?
  • What is the difference between research and looking up the answer to a factual question?
  • How does an information need determine the questions that are asked?
  • How can someone new to a topic recognize gaps in the research?

Video: How Library Stuff Works: Research as Inquiry

Source: "How Library Stuff Works: Research as Inquiry" by McMaster Libraries, is licensed under a Standard YouTube License.

Learn how we are all producers as much as consumers of information and it is important to give credit to original ideas.