1. Research Cycle Questioning Planning Gathering Sorting & sifting
2/24/2019
Research Cycle
          
Questioning
Planning
Gathering
Sorting & sifting
Synthesizing
Evaluating
A.A. van Stade; Student number ; E mail: 07/03/2009
The steps of the research cycle consist of the following: Questioning; Planning; Gathering; Sorting and sifting; Synthesizing; Evaluating.
A.A. van Stade; Research Cycle; 07/03/2009

2. Questioning Define the task 2/24/2019
Before you can begin a task, you must ask yourself the following two questions:
What am I supposed to do? (Why do I need information?)
What information do I need in order to complete the task?
A.A. van Stade; Research Cycle; 07/03/2009

3. Where and how information can be found?
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Planning
Where and how information can be found?
     
After determining what information you need, you must decide:
What possible sources of information exist, and
Which of those sources would be best to use.
We already know several sources of information exist and the best one to use depends on the type of information that you are looking for. Possible sources are:
Books; radio and TV; magazines; advertisement flyers; electronic encyclopedias; the Internet.
It can sometimes occur that you cannot find the information you want in an existing source and it must be gathered in another way. For example:
Create a questionnaire to do a survey
Keep count with a tally chart
Ask a expert.
A.A. van Stade; Research Cycle; 07/03/2009

4. Gathering Find sources Extract information 2/24/2019
Several ways of gathering information exist:
You can photocopy articles in books and magazines about the topic you are busy studying
Save the web pages or parts of the web pages and print them out when needed.
Take notes whilst interviewing someone
Take photographs, or make a video- or tape recording.
Collect completed questionnaires.
Remember!
Save all collected data.
Keep track of your sources.
Back up.
A.A. van Stade; Research Cycle; 07/03/2009

5. Sorting and Sifting Using Information 2/24/2019
You have collected all the information and now you must decide what information you can use to complete your project/ task. You now need to begin to process the information and you could possibly use some of the following approaches:
Make summaries: underline important parts, and make notes.
Write down the answers to the questions you asked in your own words.
Write down the core concepts.
Draw a mind map to organise the information.
Use a spreadsheet or a database to capture the results of your questionnaires.
A.A. van Stade; Research Cycle; 07/03/2009

6. Synthesizing The Presentation of Information 2/24/2019
Depending on the situation, information can be presented in different ways.
The final product can be a document, poster, presentation, web page, etc.
The information presented van be written text, diagrams, pictures, photographs, tables, graphs, etc.
A.A. van Stade; Research Cycle; 07/03/2009

7. Evaluate the process and the product
2/24/2019
Evaluating
Evaluate the process and the product
When the task or project is finished you need to look at the project as a whole and evaluate it.
Set a list of aspects you would want to look at and tick it off before you hand in the project or deliver the presentation.
A.A. van Stade; Research Cycle; 07/03/2009