Writing and Information Competency in Small Bytes
by John A. Cagle and Ross LaBaugh

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Organize and synthesize information

As information is gathered and recorded in various forms, you can begin the important writing task of evolving an organizational plan to keep the material organized. Keep a few things firmly in mind:

    1. Strive to relate each "piece" of information to your overall research question or objective. 
    2. Remember to build your Works Cited page as you go with complete bibliographic entries.   Pay attention to author, the publisher, date, and length of work--beginning the process of evaluating the value of the information to your research purpose.
    3. Record clearly the source and location (e.g., page number) for every "piece" of information.

As you gather the information, try to find logical groupings of ideas and facts that can be put together and developed as points in your paper. The nature of your material should be a good guide to such groupings. Several traditional patterns for information can be useful:

In Chapter 3, the four stasis issues were introduced as tools to frame the initial question. In this later stage in evolving a written paper or essay, the same issues can be used for grouping your information:

Exigency: Does the problem exist?

Fact: What are the facts about the problem and how do we label them?

Value: How do we evaluate these facts?

Policy: What should be done to solve the problem?

These same patterns for organization of your research information can be useful in writing stage in which you begin formally planning the organization of your paper.

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Communication and Information Competency in Small Bytes
Menu  Introduction   Need  State problem  Information requirements  Locate & retrieve information  Evaluate information  Organize and Synthesize  Communication options  Writing   Technological Tools  Using research in writing  Speaking  Judging process   Works Cited

ã 1998 by John A. Cagle, Professor of Communication, California State University, Fresno.

This information competency website was designed by John A. Cagle (Department of Communication) and Ross LaBaugh (Instructional Coordinator, Henry Madden Library) as part of a grant from the California State University.  It continues to be under construction.