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Identify

In this chapter, you will learn about the first pillar of information literacy. While the pillars are normally presented in a certain order, it is important to remember that they are not intended to be a step-by-step guide or followed in a strict order. In most research projects, you will find that you move back and forth between the different pillars as you discover more information and come up with more questions about your topic. In this chapter you will learn how to identify your information need so that you can begin your research.

A person proficient in the Identify pillar is expected to be able to identify a personal need for information. They understand

• That new information and data is constantly being produced and that there is always more to learn
• That being information literate involves developing a learning habit so new information is being actively sought all the time
• That ideas and opportunities are created by investigating/seeking information
• The scale of the world of published and unpublished information and data

They are able to

• Identify a lack of knowledge in a subject area
• Identify a search topic/question and define it using simple terminology
• Articulate current knowledge on a topic
• Recognize a need for information and data to achieve a specific end and define limits to the information need
• Use background information to underpin the search
• Take personal responsibility for an information search
• Manage time effectively to complete a search

Scenario

Hunter is a gamer and spends most of his free time playing Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs). When his Information Studies professor assigned a paper about the impact of the Internet on American Society, Hunter thought it was going to be an easy A, because he could write about gaming. Unfortunately, the paper has not been going well. Hunter is only coming up with the negative impacts of gaming for his paper. He knows that MMORPGs are fun to play and that all his best friends are gamers. However, most of the other people in his life tell him that MMORPGs are a massive waste of time, highly addictive and definitely nerdy. Hunter does not have strong arguments for why MOORPGs are good for American Society and he is quickly losing interest in writing the paper.

Understanding the Context of an Information Need

One of the first things you need to do when beginning a research project is to acknowledge your personal need for information. This may seem obvious, but it is something many of us take for granted. We may mistakenly assume that we already know enough to proceed. Such an assumption can lead us to waste valuable time working with incomplete, biased or outdated information.

When you develop a topic, it is important  that you explore the existing information landscape to find out what is already out there. You need to think broadly about the information environment in which you are operating. For instance, any topic you need information about is constantly evolving as new information is discovered and added. Trained experts, informed amateurs, and opinionated laypeople are publishing in traditional and emerging formats; there is always something new to find out. Part of becoming information literate is developing habits of mind and of practice that enable you to continually seek new information and to adapt your understanding of topics according to what you find. While you are busy searching for information on your current topic, be sure to keep your mind open to new topics or arguments you have not considered. Often the information you find for your initial need will change the way you think about or frame a topic.

Undergraduate students are often assigned papers and projects that require informational research. This type of research differs from scientific research in few important ways. Informational research involves interpretation and discovery of information that is already produced. Scientific research involves experimental design and produces something tangible that can be reproduced. Another important feature of informational research is that it can be reexamined and reinterpreted at a later date because our information landscape is always changing. Informational research can be used to create an argument, analyze different facets of a topic, or introduce a body of literature.

When you understand the information environment where your information need is situated, you can begin to define the topic more clearly and understand where your research fits in with related work that precedes it.

Defining Information Needs

Hunter was abruptly confronted by his lack of knowledge when he realized that he had mostly negative things to write about MMORPGs. At this point, he has to decide whether to do some research or abandon his topic. While the path of least resistance is appealing, doing research into something  important to you can be rewarding. If Hunter finds positive arguments for MMORPGs, he can use them in his paper and in real life.

Your own lack of knowledge may become apparent in other ways. When reading an article or textbook, you may notice that something the author refers to is completely new to you. You might realize while out walking that you can’t identify any of the trees around your house. You may be assigned a topic you have never heard of.

For example: You can’t explain why your coat repels water. You know that it’s plastic, and that it’s designed to repel water, but can’t explain why this happens. You need to find out what kind of plastic the coat is made of, the chemistry of that plastic and the physics that makes the water run off instead of soaking through. Keep in mind that the terminology in your first explanation will get more sophisticated once you do some research.

All of us lack knowledge in countless areas and this is not a bad thing. Once we acknowledge that we don’t know something, it opens up the possibility that we can find out all sorts of interesting new things.

Taking your lack of knowledge and turning it into a topic or research question starts with being able to identify the knowledge you lack. We rarely start a research project from absolute zero. Most of the time you have heard something about the topic, even if it is just a brief reference in a lecture or reading. Taking stock of what you already know can help you to identify assumptions you are making based on incomplete or biased information. If you think you know something, make sure you find at least a couple of reliable sources to confirm that knowledge before taking it for granted. Use the following exercise to see if there is anything that needs to be supported with background research before proceeding.

Exercise: Taking Stock of What You Already Know

As discussed above, part of identifying your own information need is giving yourself credit for what you already know about your topic. Construct a chart using the following format to list what you already know about the topic.

• Name your research topic.
• In the first column, list what you know about your topic.
• In the second column, briefly explain how you know this (heard it from the professor, read it in the textbook, saw it on a blog, etc.).
• In the last column, rate your confidence in that knowledge. Are you 100% sure of this bit of knowledge, or did you just hear it somewhere and assume it was right?

Now that you have written down everything you know about the topic, step back and look at the chart as a whole. You may be surprised at how little or how much you know, either way you will be more aware of your own background knowledge on the topic. This exercise should give you a starting point, and may help you identify specific gaps in your knowledge. It can be useful to revisit this chart as you work on your research project to see how far you’ve progressed or to double check that you haven’t forgotten an area of weakness.

Once you have clearly stated what you know, it should be easier to state what you don’t know. Keep in mind that you are not attempting to state everything you don’t know. You are letting your current information need guide this exercise. This is where you define the limits of what you are searching for. These limits enable you to meet both size requirements and time deadlines for a research project. If you have a clear goal in mind,  you can keep yourself on track as you proceed with your research.

One useful way to keep your research on track is with a “KWHL” chart. This type of chart enables you to state both what you know and what you want to know, as well as providing space where you can track your planning, searching and evaluation progress. For now, just fill out the first two columns. Start thinking about the gaps in your knowledge and how they might inform your research questions.

Defining a research question can be difficult. Your initial questions may be too broad or too narrow. You may not be familiar with specialized terminology used in the field you are researching. You may not know if your question is worth investigating at all. These problems can often be solved by a preliminary investigation of existing published information on the topic. In academic research, it is important to look for experts who have laid the groundwork for you to build upon. On a more practical note, gathering background information can provide you with commonly used terminology and arguments.  Having the right background knowledge can help you create thoughtful research questions and construct more precise searches.

Creating Research Questions and Thesis Statements

Now that you have identified your knowledge gaps, conducted a preliminary investigation on the topic and set limits on your research based on your current information need. You are ready to write out your research question or thesis statement. Research questions and thesis statements can be understood as two sides of the same coin. You can start with a research question and restate it as a thesis statement, or vice versa. The characteristics of a good research question can be used to create a good thesis statement.

A good research question has several characteristics:

• The answer to a research question should not be immediately obvious

A good research research encourages exploration. It should force you to seek out new and varied information, not just one fact or figure. The research question should not be answered with a simple yes or no. It should require that you analyze several sources of information to get a complete answer.

• A research question should help you feel focused

A good research question helps you focus on a specific context. This context could be a specific time period, human population, geographic area or set of circumstances. You have a clear sense of who or what you are researching. It does not require you seek out information indefinitely.

• A research question should address an issue or controversy, or seek to solve a problem

Whenever possible, you should articulate the controversy or issues concerning your research topic. A typical research assignment seeks to answer a question, find a solution or convince your audience of a stance. If you need a strong set of arguments or solutions, then you should ask questions that address the issue or controversy explicitly.

• A research question is hopeful

Sometimes a controversy or issue seems overwhelming. You may feel like the answer is impractical or improbable for humans to execute. Try not to despair, and do not frame your research questions in exaggerated or apocalyptic language. Also, avoid creating open ended questions that reflect your feelings about human frailty. Accept that humans are not perfect and find the workable solutions.

• An informational research question is not theoretical or revisionist

It is fun to think about alternative realities, theoretical possibilities or revised histories. If you are assigned a research project, you will find the whole endeavor more productive if you stick to what is known about the world. When scholars, academics, researchers or scientists explore the unknown they use disciplinary research methods to make new discoveries. If you go far enough in your academic journey, you will learn how to conduct original research or set up scientific experiments. Informational research requires a body of information to explore.

Do not worry about perfection. You should revise your research question or thesis statement several times during the course of a research project. As you become more and more knowledgeable about the topic, you will be able to state your ideas more clearly and precisely, until they almost perfectly reflect the information you have found.

A Wider View

While Identify is presented as the first step in a research process, you may find yourself circling back to topic development many times during a research process. It is impossible to keep up with an evolving information landscape and we often start out with incorrect assumptions or outdated information. Other chapters in this book deal with evaluating, managing and presenting information during a research process. You may revisit your initial ideas about your topic in response what you’re doing with what that information later on.

Students often think that their lived experience is not relevant to or researched in scholarly circles. Hunter was carrying baggage about Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games when he started writing about it for a class. A little preliminary research and topic development will go a long way to assuage your fears about finding scholarly sources of information. Professors, researchers, scientists and practitioners study all sorts of real world phenomena and draw interesting conclusions about what they observe.