scroll to top

Big6™

An Overview of the Big6 Research Model

from the Big6 website 

http://big6.com/

The Big6™ Developed by Mike Eisenberg and Bob Berkowitz, the Big6 is the most widely known and widely used approach to teaching information and technology skills in the world. Used in thousands of K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and corporate and adult training programs, the Big6 information problem-solving model is applicable whenever people need and use information. The Big6 integrates information search and use skills along with technology tools in a systematic process to find, use, apply, and evaluate information for specific needs and tasks.

Why Big6?

We all suffer from information overload. There's just too much "stuff" out there, and it's not easy to keep up. At the same time, there's an irony—yes, we are surrounded by information, but we can never seem to find what we want, when we want it, and in a form we want it so that we can use it effectively.
One solution to the information problem—the one that seems to be most often adopted in schools (as well as in business and society in general)—is to speed things up. We try to pack in more and more content, to work faster to get more done. But, this is a losing proposition. Speeding things up can only work for so long. Instead, we need to think about helping students to work smarter, not faster. There is an alternative to speeding things up. It's the smarter solution—one that helps students develop the skills and understandings they need to find, process, and use information effectively. This smarter solution focuses on process as well as content. Some people call this smarter solution information literacy or information skills instruction. Most importantly though--these skills can be used by students any time they need to make a decision based on information whether it be in their personal lives (buying a car) or their future professional lives!

The Big6 Steps:

1. Task Definition - evaluate the nature and type of information needed.
     1.1  Define the problem. What is the problem to be solved?
     1.2  Identify the information needed. What information is needed in order to solve the problem or make the decision?

2. Information Seeking Strategies - evaluate information among potential sources
     2.1  Determine all possible sources. What are all possible sources of information?
     2.2  Select the best sources. What are the best sources?

3. Location and Access - evaluate how to represent information as search terms
     3.1  Locate sources. Where are sources of information located?
     3.2  Find information within sources. Where is the information located within the source?

4. Use of Information - evaluate what information is relevant and useful
     4.1  Engage. What information does the source provide? (engage info by reading, listening, etc.)
     4.2  Extract relevant information. What specific information is worth applying to the task? (relevance, understanding)

5. Synthesis - evaluate the specific information to apply to the task and how the information fits together
     5.1  Organize information from multiple sources. How does the information gathered all fit together?
     5.2  Present the result. What form will the synthesized information take?

6. Evaluation - evaluate the quality of information in the final product and effectiveness in the process
     6.1  Judge the result. Is the task completed? Is the problem resolved?
     6.2  Judge the process. What could have been changed or done better?