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Research Process

This libguide walks the reader through a Research Process informed by Dr. Carol Kuhlthau and the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education

How to GATHER

Find the right keywords!
Quality is more important than quantity
Use a variety of sources

RVOneSearch This link opens in a new window
RVOneSearch provides access to most of the information contained in many of the library's databases plus the RVCC library catalog.
It is a great place to begin your research with select key words to obtain a list of articles available throughout multiple databases as well as books, ebooks and websites accessible through RVCC’s library. Many limiters are available to modify your search such as full-text only, peer reviewed (scholarly), specific date ranges, or a specific database or source type.

Step 5 - a deeper explanation

Gather useful information
Go broad
Go deep

A clearly articulated question gives direction to the Gather phase. Gather sessions are designed to help students collect detailed information from a variety of sources. This information engages them in learning about their inquiry question. The Learning Team guides students in locating, evaluating, and using information that leads to deep learning.

The main task of the Gather phase is to guide learners to choose what is personally meaningful and compelling about their inquiry question in the information sources they find. The Learning Team guides students in a structured approach for managing their search. Students "go broad" to find a range of sources that are useful for understanding their inquiry question. Students also "go deep" and choose a core of the most useful sources to read closely as they find connections and gain personal understanding.

Kuhlthau, Carol Collier, et al. “Guided Inquiry Design Framework.” Guided Inquiry: Learning in the 21st Century, 2nd ed., Libraries Unlimited, Santa Barbara, CA, 2015, pp. 57–57.