Summery of Big six information skills

 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION SCIENCES

FROM : EDITH HOPE CHAVULA

REG NO : MLIS0225

TO THE LECTURER : PROF WINA CHAWINGA

PROGRAM : MASTER OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE

COURSE TITLE : INFORMATION BEHAVIOUR AND LITERACY EDUCATION

COURSE CODE : MLIS602

TASKS : SUMMERY OF BIG SIX INFORMATION SKILLS

SEMESTER : ONE

DUE DATE : 16 DECEMBER, 2025

Introduction

Information literacy is the fundamental ability to "recognize when information is needed and to be able to locate it, evaluate it, and use it effectively" (American Library Association, as cited in East Carolina University, n.d.). This competence is critical in an era characterized by information overload. To provide a clear, structured framework for developing these crucial skills, Mike Eisenberg and Bob Berkowitz developed the "Big6" model (Eisenberg & Berkowitz, 1990, as cited in Murray, 2012). This systematic approach breaks down the complex process of information problem-solving into six integrated stages, guiding users from the initial moment an information need arises to the final assessment of the results. 

The Big6 Information Skills Summary

The Big6 model offers a powerful, systematic guide for managing information tasks across various disciplines, providing a consistent vocabulary for educators and librarians to teach critical thinking and research skills (Eisenberg & Berkowitz, n.d., , as cited in American Library Association, 2003).

The process begins with the task definition stage. Here, the individual must clearly understand the information problem and identify exactly what information is necessary to address it. This involves understanding the assignment requirements and formulating specific questions to guide the research. For example, a high school student assigned a research paper on climate change would define their task not just as research climate change, but as determine the primary human causes of climate change since 1990 and propose three actionable solutions. This initial clarity drives the subsequent steps effectively.

Following task definition, the second stage is information seeking strategies. The user identifies all potential sources of information—ranging from digital academic databases and government reports to subject matter experts—and critically evaluates these options to determine which are most appropriate and efficient for the defined task. Continuing the example, the student might decide that peer-reviewed scientific journals and official EPA or UN reports are "best bets," while general search engines or opinion blogs are less reliable sources. 

The third stage is location and access. Once the best sources are identified, the user must physically or intellectually locate them and then access the specific information contained within them. This requires practical navigation skills. The student would go to their university library portal, use specific search terms within academic databases to find the selected journals, and navigate the EPA website to download relevant reports. 

The fourth stage, use of information, shifts focus to interacting with the accessed data. This involves engaging with the source material (e.g., reading relevant sections, viewing charts, listening to expert testimony) and extracting relevant information that directly addresses the initial problem statement. The core sub-skill here is extracting relevant information. The student reads through the scientific studies, highlights specific statistics on carbon emissions and industrial processes, and takes concise notes, filtering out unrelated historical data. 

The fifth stage, synthesis, is where the user organizes, analyzes, and consolidates the extracted information from various sources to create a unified final product. This requires integrating disparate facts and figures into a cohesive argument. The student uses their notes to structure their paper, writing paragraphs that connect statistics from the EPA report with conclusions from the peer-reviewed journals to argue for specific policy changes in their final paper. 

Finally, the sixth stage, evaluation, serves as a critical, reflective closing step (Tuominen et al., 2005). The user assesses the effectiveness of the final product in solving the problem and evaluates the efficiency of the entire process. The student reviews their completed paper against the initial task definition criteria to ensure all questions were answered effectively. They also reflect on the process, perhaps concluding that they should have used specific database filters earlier to save time, improving their approach for their next assignment. 

Conclusion

The Big6 model provides a pragmatic, flexible, and comprehensive framework for navigating the information landscape. By systematically guiding individuals through task definition, strategy selection, location and access, information use, synthesis, and evaluation, the model demystifies the research process (Eisenberg & Berkowitz, n.d). It moves beyond simply finding facts to fostering critical thinking, metacognition, and effective problem-solving skills that are indispensable in education and everyday life. 

References

American Library Association. (n.d.). Presidential Committee on Information Literacy: Final Report. 

American Library Association, American Association of School Librarians. (2003). The Big6 approach to information and technology literacy. https://thebig6.org/ (Reprint of chapter from Information literacy: Essential skills for the information age by M. Eisenberg, C. Lowe, & K. Spitzer, 2004, Libraries Unlimited).

Eisenberg, M. B., & Berkowitz, R. E. (1990). Information problem-solving: The big six skills approach to information literacy instruction. 

Eisenberg, M. B., & Berkowitz, R. E. (n.d.). The Big6: Information literacy for the information age. 

Tuominen, K., Savolainen, R., & Talja, S. (2005). Information literacy as a sociological phenomenon. As cited in ResearchGate.