This, at first, may seem like a no-brainer. After all you know when you need information, right? Well, maybe. Maybe not. The first standard goes beyond just knowing whether or not you need information. It includes several parts, but today we’ll look at just one: defining and articulating the need for information.

For most students, the need for information occurs when the instructor assigns a research project. At that point, students need to do the following:

• Understand the assignment and the types of sources that are required.
• Spend some time reflecing on what they already know about the subject.
• Develop a thesis statement.
• Read general sources, such as encyclopedias,  to get an overview of the topic. The Kisber Library has several subject matter dictionaries online.
• Modify the thesis to ensure there is a manageable focus.

In general, this is a key first step that is often overlooked. We may not know that we don’t know something. Or we may be too much in a hurry that we don’t spend time getting an overview and developing a tentative thesis. But if we take the time to know that we need certain types of information, the rest of the process will go more smoothly.