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I. Task Definition
Explain the field/industry you are interested in learning more about (based on what you already know)
and explain your reasons for wanting to research this particular field or industry. Do you really like
Project Runway or did you grow up fixing cars or playing accountant? Tell the story.
250 + words
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Directions: Use this page to look up different careers in your field of interest. Your findings at the end
of this project should include 3 careers in a single field of interest, or 4 in two fields of interest. Go to
the Occupational Outlook Handbook at www.bls.gov to find different careers in your field(s).

Career and descriptions

Record your career findings and describe these careers in your own words.

Example (for a study on landmark Supreme Court Cases):

Career Description
Fact finder Person who checks that the facts in a news
piece are legit.
Superhero Saves the innocent from harm and bad guys
Teacher Molds young minds.
Construction Worker Uses hands to build new structures.

Record your career findings and describe these careers in your own words.

Career Description
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II. Information Seeking

What information do I need in order to do this? List (in question form) information that
you feel you need or want to know about each career at this time (this is not YET about answering the
questions). You must have 5.

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

Question 5

Additional Question

Additional Question

Additional Question
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III. Location and Access

Using Keyword Search

Directions: If using a search engine like Google, turn your Part II questions into likely
key words and punctuate using quotation marks to narrow your search. Think back to the
lessons on googling hints and using punctuation to narrow your search results. You
should do this for EACH career.

Information you want to find Search Term

Example: I want to find out what kind of places Example: “Archaeology sites”
archaeologists travel to.
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Information you want to find Search Term

Example: I want to find out what kind of places Example: “Archaeology sites”
archaeologists travel to.
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Location and Access

Turn your search terms into actual searches here and write/type the WHOLE URL (starting with the
http).

Example

Type here the author, title, copyright date, URL, etc for the source referenced.

http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/archaeology/sites/

Source 1

Type here the author, title, copyright date, URL, etc for the source referenced.

Source 2

Type here the author, title, copyright date, URL, etc for the source referenced.

Source 3

Type here the author, title, copyright date, URL, etc for the source referenced.
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Source 4

Type here the author, title, copyright date, URL, etc for the source referenced.

Source 5

Type here the author, title, copyright date, URL, etc for the source referenced.
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Directions: After you have found at least three websites that you THINK might be good sources, use
this Website Evaluation Guide for EACH website to verify that the source is reliable and current. If it
is biased or not current (more than 5 years old), you should not use that source. Answer the BOLD
questions first, if the answers to ALL of those (4-8) are all YES, discard that source.

Website Evaluation Guide

1. Web site URL:

2. Title of web site:
3. What is the purpose (inform, persuade, sell, entertain, communicate) of the site?
4. Do you feel as though the document is trying to convince you of something?
5. Can readers edit the content on the page?
6. Does the information appear biased?
7. Does the author express his or her opinion as fact?
8. Does the information contradict something you found somewhere else?
9. Look at the advertising on the page. Could the companies paying for the ads influence the
content or cause bias?
10. Is the information useful for your purpose? Is the information current? Does up-to-date
information matter for your purpose?
11. Does the author support his or her ideas with references?
12. Did the information lead you to other sources that were useful?
13. When was the document created/last edited?
14. Is there a person or organization responsible for the web page? Write the name of the person
or the organization:
15. Is there an e-mail address or other way to contact the author or authors?
16. Is the Web page linked to a home page for an organization, commercial enterprise, or
individual?
17. Does the domain (edu, com, gov, etc.) of the page influence your evaluation of the site?
18. Are you satisfied that the information is useful for your purpose?
19. Are you using this web page for your paper or project? Explain.

Modified version of Kathy Schrock's Critical Evaluation Survey: Secondary School Level. Used with
permission. Modified by Barbara A. Jansen. 1.13.04, rev. 12.03.10.
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Website Evaluation Guide

1. Web site URL:

2. Title of web site:
3. What is the purpose (inform, persuade, sell, entertain, communicate) of the site?
4. Do you feel as though the document is trying to convince you of something?
5. Can readers edit the content on the page?
6. Does the information appear biased?
7. Does the author express his or her opinion as fact?
8. Does the information contradict something you found somewhere else?
9. Look at the advertising on the page. Could the companies paying for the ads influence the
content or cause bias?
10. Is the information useful for your purpose? Is the information current? Does up-to-date
information matter for your purpose?
11. Does the author support his or her ideas with references?
12. Did the information lead you to other sources that were useful?
13. When was the document created/last edited?
14. Is there a person or organization responsible for the web page? Write the name of the person
or the organization:
15. Is there an e-mail address or other way to contact the author or authors?
16. Is the Web page linked to a home page for an organization, commercial enterprise, or
individual?
17. Does the domain (edu, com, gov, etc.) of the page influence your evaluation of the site?
18. Are you satisfied that the information is useful for your purpose?
19. Are you using this web page for your paper or project? Explain.

Modified version of Kathy Schrock's Critical Evaluation Survey: Secondary School Level. Used with
permission. Modified by Barbara A. Jansen. 1.13.04, rev. 12.03.10.

Website Evaluation Guide

1. Web site URL:

2. Title of web site:
3. What is the purpose (inform, persuade, sell, entertain, communicate) of the site?
4. Do you feel as though the document is trying to convince you of something?
5. Can readers edit the content on the page?
6. Does the information appear biased?
7. Does the author express his or her opinion as fact?
8. Does the information contradict something you found somewhere else?
9. Look at the advertising on the page. Could the companies paying for the ads influence the
content or cause bias?
10. Is the information useful for your purpose? Is the information current? Does up-to-date
information matter for your purpose?
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11. Does the author support his or her ideas with references?
12. Did the information lead you to other sources that were useful?
13. When was the document created/last edited?
14. Is there a person or organization responsible for the web page? Write the name of the person
or the organization:
15. Is there an e-mail address or other way to contact the author or authors?
16. Is the Web page linked to a home page for an organization, commercial enterprise, or
individual?
17. Does the domain (edu, com, gov, etc.) of the page influence your evaluation of the site?
18. Are you satisfied that the information is useful for your purpose?
19. Are you using this web page for your paper or project? Explain.

Modified version of Kathy Schrock's Critical Evaluation Survey: Secondary School Level. Used with
permission. Modified by Barbara A. Jansen. 1.13.04, rev. 12.03.10.

Website Evaluation Guide

1. Web site URL:

2. Title of web site:
3. What is the purpose (inform, persuade, sell, entertain, communicate) of the site?
4. Do you feel as though the document is trying to convince you of something?
5. Can readers edit the content on the page?
6. Does the information appear biased?
7. Does the author express his or her opinion as fact?
8. Does the information contradict something you found somewhere else?
9. Look at the advertising on the page. Could the companies paying for the ads influence the
content or cause bias?
10. Is the information useful for your purpose? Is the information current? Does up-to-date
information matter for your purpose?
11. Does the author support his or her ideas with references?
12. Did the information lead you to other sources that were useful?
13. When was the document created/last edited?
14. Is there a person or organization responsible for the web page? Write the name of the person
or the organization:
15. Is there an e-mail address or other way to contact the author or authors?
16. Is the Web page linked to a home page for an organization, commercial enterprise, or
individual?
17. Does the domain (edu, com, gov, etc.) of the page influence your evaluation of the site?
18. Are you satisfied that the information is useful for your purpose?
19. Are you using this web page for your paper or project? Explain.

Modified version of Kathy Schrock's Critical Evaluation Survey: Secondary School Level. Used with
permission. Modified by Barbara A. Jansen. 1.13.04, rev. 12.03.10.
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Part IV: Use of Information
Directions: Now that you have sources that you found to be reliable, you must choose a graphic
organizer (there are three different formats included) that best suits you.
a. Questioning: Use one per career with your Information Seeking Questions/. OR
b. Note cards: Use one per piece of information and source OR
c. Processing Info: Use one per source and start to actually write the impact the
information has on you (this is a good start towards synthesizing your information).

Questioning Graphic Organizer

Field:___________________________________________________
Career title:______________________________________________

Question addressed? Information

Example: How much money do archeologists $11,000 per dig.

make?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.
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Questioning Graphic Organizer

Field:___________________________________________________
Career title:______________________________________________

Question addressed? Information

Example: How much money do archeologists $11,000 per dig.

make?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.
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Questioning Graphic Organizer

Field:___________________________________________________
Career title:______________________________________________

Question addressed? Information

Example: How much money do archeologists $11,000 per dig.

make?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Note card graphic organizer and bibliography worksheet

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Source number: (number should correspond to source on Location and Access page)

Example

Subject: (main idea of notes on card or question it addresses)

How much do archaeologists make?

Write or type notes here (you should have only one fact or idea on card):

Archeologists make $11,000 per dig.

Source number: (number should correspond to source on Location and Access page)

Subject: (main idea of notes on card or question it addresses)

Write or type notes here (you should have only one fact or idea on card):

Source number: (number should correspond to source on Location and Access page)
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Subject: (main idea of notes on card or question it addresses)

Write or type notes here (you should have only one fact or idea on card):

Source number: (number should correspond to source on Location and Access page)

Subject: (main idea of notes on card or question it addresses)

Write or type notes here (you should have only one fact or idea on card):
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Processing Info Graphic Organizer

Citation (title, author, publication, date, URL,

etc.)

Subject of notes
Example: Pay schedules

Notes (important information—paraphrase,

avoid copying and pasting huge blocks of text)
Example: Teachers get paid every 2 weeks,
kitchen workers get paid every week,
accountants get paid monthly

Ideas (record here your ideas and reactions to

the information, ways to use it in your paper,
your opinions, or further research you need to
do on the information)

Example: I think I would like the pay schedule

of a teacher because it seems like kitchen
workers get paid cash, which I don’t like to
carry around.
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Citation (title, author, publication, date, URL,

etc.)

Subject of notes
Example: Pay schedules

Notes (important information—paraphrase,

avoid copying and pasting huge blocks of text)
Example: Teachers get paid every 2 weeks,
kitchen works get paid every week, accountants
get paid monthly

Ideas (record here your ideas and reactions to

the information, ways to use it in your paper,
your opinions, or further research you need to
do on the information)
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Citation (title, author, publication, date, URL,

etc.)

Subject of notes
Example: Pay schedules

Notes (important information—paraphrase,

avoid copying and pasting huge blocks of text)
Example: Teachers get paid every 2 weeks,
kitchen works get paid every week, accountants
get paid monthly

Ideas (record here your ideas and reactions to

the information, ways to use it in your paper,
your opinions, or further research you need to
do on the information)
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Citation (title, author, publication, date, URL,

etc.)

Subject of notes
Example: Pay schedules

Notes (important information—paraphrase,

avoid copying and pasting huge blocks of text)
Example: Teachers get paid every 2 weeks,
kitchen works get paid every week, accountants
get paid monthly

Ideas (record here your ideas and reactions to

the information, ways to use it in your paper,
your opinions, or further research you need to
do on the information)
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Citation (title, author, publication, date, URL,

etc.)

Subject of notes
Example: Pay schedules

Notes (important information—paraphrase,

avoid copying and pasting huge blocks of text)
Example: Teachers get paid every 2 weeks,
kitchen works get paid every week, accountants
get paid monthly

Ideas (record here your ideas and reactions to

the information, ways to use it in your paper,
your opinions, or further research you need to
do on the information)

Save with a descriptive title or a sequential number. (Based on note organizer from McKenzie, Jamie.
Beyond Technology: Questioning, Research and the Information Literate School. Bellingham, WA: FNO Press,
2000.)
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V. Synthesis

Explain the process you went through to get information about careers in the field/industry you were
interested in learning more about. Make sure to document every step and anxiety/frustration/ moment
of clarity/etc. you had after thinking about each piece of information you found. Tell the story. Also
explain what influence this isearch has had on your future, if any.

250 + words
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Part VI: Evaluate Your Research Skills Using the Big6!

By Barbara A. Jansen and Robert E. Berkowitz

Before you turn in your assignment or project, think about and respond to the items below.
Big6 copyright 1990, Eisenberg Berkowitz. Big6 Evaluation copyright 2003, Barbara A. Jansen and
Robert E. Berkowitz.

Big6 #1: Task Definition

឴឴" Does the information in your final product meet (or exceed) the requirements of the assignment?
឴឴"" Does your final product meet your teacher’s expectations?

Big6 #2: Information Seeking Strategies

឴឴"" Did the books, web sites, and other resources you used meet the needs of the assignment?
឴឴"" Did you select the best sources available to you? How do you know?

Big6 #3: Location & Access

឴឴"" Did you locate the sources you needed?
឴឴"" Did you find the information you needed in each source?

Big6 #4: Use of Information

឴឴"" Were you able to effectively identify the information you needed?
឴឴"" Were you able to effectively take notes or gather information?

Big6 #5: Synthesis

឴឴"" Did you effectively organize information?
឴឴"" Does your product present the information clearly?

Big6 #6: Evaluation

឴឴"" Does your product meet (or exceed) the assignment requirements?
឴឴"" Did you use your time well?