After exploring some of the foraging tools and tips on this page, you will be better able to organize and synthesize information effectively by
- filtering large amounts of information and distinguishing among facts, points of view, and opinion;
- extracting relevant information;
- organizing information in a logical and useful manner;
- communicating the final product effectively, in formats appropriate to the intended audience;
- incorporating the newly organized and synthesized information into one knowledge base;
- recognizing that existing information can be combined with original thought, experimentation, and/or analysis to produce new information.
Your trail of resources includes . . .
Services & ContactsService Desk / Reference & Information Services, Offering Appointments with Librarians for One-on-one Consultation Meet with us at this stage of your research and we can show you how to filter your results, leaving only the most useful items for your needs. Did you know that some periodical article databases make it easy to limit to document types such as editorials or reviews, or find out about the perspective of the author or publisher?
IPFW Writing Center This is one of the best places to get help in organizing your information and your points. Be sure to seek feedback from your instructor too.
STEPS: Student Technology Education Program If you need help with PowerPoint or word-processing software, IT Services is the place for you. Take a short course, or get advice from a Student-Access Computing Lab consultant.
Guides & ToolsCourse Guides If there's a guide listed here for you, it may include tips about the customary citing style in your field of study.
Style Guides Distinctive writing styles and publishing outlets are another important part of the disciplinary landscape. Use this guide to locate the standards.
Plagiarism: Select Electronic Resources Review these resources to think about how you can create a synthesis, integrating the work of others with your own thoughts and analysis to produce something entirely new.
Environments & BehaviorsSubject Pathfinders Now that you've incorporated your ideas with those of others, how has the disciplinary environment changed for you? Maybe it's a good time to revisit some of the reference books in your subject area.
Is Your Journal Scholarly? (PDF) As you read and extract relevant information, review these criteria if you're not sure about the value of some of your periodical article sources.
Is Your Web Site Credible? About to base the weight of your argument on an item you retrieved from the Web? Are you confident that it's up to the challenge? Use this checklist to decide.
IIFE Insights
IIFE Insight #6: Organizing your thoughts and all of your supporting documentation is a lot like eating a balanced diet. Over the long run, it pays to select a variety of resources and trim the fat. Come see us for guidance.
 Let's continue on with #7 Treat Information Ethically
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