Searching & Evaluating

I almost forgot the two most important keywords for my search on the extinction of redheads: Redhead and Red Hair. I’ll add those to the Words category of my graphic organizer in every category (History/Identity, Genetics, and Action).

I have started searching for information about my topic using several different avenues. I find that in addition to keyword searching, database thesauri are also very helpful to get a broad spectrum of resources to narrow down. Here are the different areas I am searching and results I’m getting:

WWW: Google, AllTheWeb, invisible web search engines

I’m finding many redhead dedicated web sites (I’ll share a list of my favorites later), but I’m wondering about the authority of some of these web sites. I even found a redheads only online dating service. In this category, I’ve also found links to newspaper articles. The best resource so far on the web is The Tech Museum of Innovation’s Ask a Geneticist exhibition. Geneticists involved in the program directly answer questions related to redheads and genetics. I might be able to ask my own question, if it has not already been answered.

IUPUI Databases: Academic Search Elite, Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature, IUCAT, IMCPL Online Catalog, Global Books in Print, medical/science journal databases (yet to be determined)

Here I’m finding articles in professional journals such as International Review of Dermatology, Annual Review of Genetics, and popular publications like Newsweek. As I start to synthesize ideas, I probably want to separate out scholarly articles from magazine articles. Global Books in Print and the online library catalogs have helped me do a comprehensive search of books and reference materials. There are less than a dozen nonfiction books solely on redheads, and one of the most interesting is The Redhead Encyclopedia by Stephen Douglas.

I know I have more avenues to search. Next I might browse the shelves in reference or visit the Ruth Lilly Medical Library. I’m also contemplating creating a qualitative redhead email interview for all the redheads I can find, if it is relevant to my inquiry.

I realize that I’m wandering into the realm of Wiggling, but I thought it would be good to come up with a rubric for evaluating information before I actually read it. All inquiry models emphasize the need for quality materials, so I’ve come up with a checklist that I derived from the Examining, Selecting, Comprehending, Assessing portion of Abilock’s Noodle Tools and the Alberta Inquiry Model (Callison & Preddy 59):

• Authority
• Currency
• Scope
• Accuracy
• Objectivity

Evaluating resources within a personal inquiry would really help students (and me) understand and apply AASL’s Information Literacy Standard #2: “The Student who is information literate evaluates information critically and competently. (Information Power 8)”

Webbing

After coming up with my Wondering questions, I felt it was important to start reading some introductory materials and doing some searching before I decide to narrow my topic or not. I was worried about diverting from the inquiry model, but as Sandy Guild states in Curriculum Connections Through the Library, "the expert researcher determines whether he or she must return to an earlier stage of research in order to reformulate his or her growing understanding of complex relationships" (141). In other words, the process of inquiry is not discontinuous and often the steps mesh together. Other models such as Eisenberg & Berkowitz's Big 6 seem to have a more linear approach with self-contained steps such as Task Identification, Information Seeking Strategies, and Location & Access, which allow less movement between the steps. My first instinct is to keep all of the W's in their own container and finish each one before moving onto the next, but I will try to keep the recursive approach (favored by Kuhlthau and Stripling) at the front of my mind.

I definitely want to exhaust all of my options while Webbing, so I think it would be best to make a graphic organizer to address my questions and prepare a search strategy. I will use a columnar graphic organizer similar to plot my course. Looking back at Lamb’s description of Wondering, I think that I can combine these steps to plot a search strategy and also narrow my topic if needed.

Below is a list of search ideas and terms that I came up with by using Lamb's Webbing Checklist. By using the categories Words, People, Places, Things, Chronology, and Ideas I sat and brainstormed my search terms. I'm sure I will come up with other terms to add to the list as I move forward.

Possible Redhead Extinction

Identity 1. How do redheads feel about possible extinction? 2. What does it mean to be a redhead? 3. Are there organizations for redheads?	Action 1. What is being done about possible extinction? 2. Will there be further research into possible extinction? 3. Are there organizations to "save the redheads"?	Genetics 1. What genetically causes red hair? 2. Why does red hair skip generations? 3. What scientific research has been done to come to this conclusion?	History 1. Where do redheads originate from? 2. How have redheads been perceived through history? 3. How has the redhead population declined?
Words: redhead, identity, minority, unique, non-profit organization, culture	Words: endangered, extinction, research, solution, saving, cause	Words: genes, traits, dominant, recessive, MC1R Gene, Punnett square, inheritance	Words: heritage, travel, perception, myths, truths, census, demographics, stereotypes
People: famous redheads (i.e. political leaders, entertainment, historical figures), Stephen Douglas	People: scientists, researchers, activists, sociologists	People: Mendel, new geneticists, researchers, my own family	People: well-known or famous redheads, redhead historians, Stephen Douglas
Places: Ireland, Scotland, Northern Europe, Heaven and Hell	Places: laboratories	Places: universities, museums, laboratories	Places: Ireland, Scotland, Northern Europe, Australia
Things: shades of red (i.e. the Clairol display at the grocery store), paintings, photographs	Things: brochures, web sites, pamphlets	Things: journal articles, web sites, text books, medical advances	Things: books, encyclopedias, paintings, photographs, biographies
Chronology: invention of hair coloring	Chronology: timeline of possible extinction, discovery of possible extinction	Chronology: discoveries in genetics (when genetics was first understood)	Chronology: invention of color photography, beginning of mass transit and travel
Ideas: unifying organizations for redheads, popularity of red hair, views of redheaded people	Ideas: ethical issues of preserving redhead gene (freezing eggs), worthy cause?, debate of extinction	Ideas: inheritance, evolution, desirability of traits, control over human characteristics (hair color, eye color, left/right-handedness)	Ideas: travel and immigration’s effect on population decline, popularity/unpopularity of red hair,

From this graphic organizer, I can already see that my Identity and History categories are overlapping, so I believe that I can combine these elements, which automatically narrows my topic a little bit.

As an extension of this organizer, I will add the questions suggested by Lamb -

• What kind of information do I need?
  
• Where can I find this information?
  
• What format will the information take?

Note that I have now combined the categories of History & Identity, as I believe the resources used will be as similar as the terms I brainstormed.

Possible Redhead Extinction

Identity & History	Action	Genetics
Type: live interview, nonfiction, fictional stories about redheads, reference, web-based, visual art & photography, government information, geographical	Type: non-profit organization information, news media, reference	Type: instructional materials, live or e-interview, reference, visual representations, specialized scientific research
Location: IUPUI Library IMCPL Library Indiana State Library Social settings IMA & other art museums World Wide Web	Location: Newspapers and TV stations World Wide Web sites and forums	Location: IUPUI Library Ruth Lilly Medical Library IU Medical Center/School S LIS School (colleagues with medical reference research experience NIH National Genetics Organizations like National Genetic Resources Program H.S. media center
Format: Journal articles from databases such as Humanities Index, Readers Guide Retrospective Documentaries Encyclopedias Who’s Who Digital images Works of fiction featuring redheads Web sites Almanacs Historical maps & gazeteers	Format: Brochures/pamphlets Web sites Journal articles from databases such as Social Science Citation Index, Academic and Academic Search Elite Television programs Newspaper articles from national sources Advocacy web sites Email communication with online experts Organization directories	Format: Encyclopedia of genetics Genetic textbooks Online educational projects Charts & graphs of genetic information Journal articles from health information databases Conversation with geneticist NIH and other organization web sites

Now I feel that I am set to locate more resources and that this brainstorming will help with the efficiency of my search. I found a helpful organization suggestion from McKenzie's Research Cycle , which is to put information such as Source, Keyword, Subject, and Abstract(notes) in a database such as Access or Excel. This way of organization will be helpful to me, as I usually start to feel overwhelmed with a stack of paper notes. I would much prefer a keyword searchable electronic document.

Wondering Some More

I have spent some more time wondering about my topic: the possible extinction of redheads. I realized while wondering that I have never spent so much time thinking about the color of my hair. I knew that it was unique, but I didn’t really know how rare it was. The Redhead Encyclopedia by Stephen Douglas, claims that less than 4% of the world

During the Wondering process I am also trying to draw from other search and inquiry models to help organize my thoughts. I can see why there are so many different models for these processes, because the different activities can work effectively for different types of learners. For example, Kuhlthau’s Information Search Process (ISP) provides Tasks, Thoughts, Feelings, Actions, and Strategies for every step of the process. This model of information search and use is very supportive to the learner and is very appropriate for someone new to inquiry. Other models, such as McKenzie’s Questioning Research Cycle focuses more on questioning, gathering, synthesizing, revising, and repeating. This process could help a more experienced inquirer hone their questioning and analysis skills.

Though I’m going through the 8W’s, I look also to the ISP model for validations of the feelings I’m having: a little overwhelmed and confused. I have not had much experience with these models of inquiry, and grew up in a much different learning environment where regurgitation of facts was considered most important. I need guidance on what activities and tools to use.

This week I embarked on the Wondering activity brainstorming. I reviewed the class readings to consider different options for organizing my thoughts and decided on trying Inspiration since I’ve only used it once before. I used an idea map with clouds to enclose my topics and questions, I thought this appropriate because I’m still wondering and nothing is concrete yet. Here is my initial brainstorm (if the jpeg image is not readable, I'll also attach in Scouts: Grade 6-Adults: Project 1 Area):

When coming up with these questions, I first thought about how red hair occurs. I remembered back to what I learned in freshman (high school) biology class about dominant and recessive traits in genetics. I think that red hair is recessive, but that is something I want to confirm in my inquiry. I also considered myself. I have red hair, but neither my mother, father, nor grandparents have it. That's where I came up with the question about red hair skipping generations. I realize that here, I'm using information I know or think and information I want to learn. I could also possibly use a KWL chart for this process and get the same results.

Once I identified genetics as a major category of interest, I tried to come up with some other perspectives that would have an impact on the extinction of redheads. I thought, what would redheads think when they heard this? I know that I was alarmed and felt motivation to find out (1) if this statement is true and (2) what can I do about it. I wonder if redheads feel a sense of unique identity. Is there a redhead organization out there? This also linked me to the thought of action. If redheads are going extinct, what is being done about it? Can anything be done about it. From some pre-reading, I know that there has already been research to try to prove the hypotheses of redhead extinction, but I want to know if there are second opinions.

The final category of questions I came up with relate to the history of redheads. In this case, I think that many redheads come from the British Isles and Northern European countries, but I want to know more. Are there other continents with native redheads? I wonder if the perception of redheads has any connection with the decline in population. How have the number of redheads declined over the last several hundred years: dramatically or little by little?

At this point, I am not sure whether I need to narrow my topic or if it's okay the way it is. I feel that history, identity, genetics, and action are supporting information for the problem of possible redhead extinction, but I don't know if I should eliminate some categories and focus in one. For example, should my topic be narrowed down to "The Genetic Causes of the Extinction of Redheads?" At this point, I find it helpful to look at the Alberta Inquiry Model, which emphasizes the assessment of each step of the inquiry process. One of the Assessment activities for the initial step of Planning (which equates to Wondering) is to "write or talk about perceived needs for intended audiences." (Callison and Preddy 59) With that, I will end this very long entry.

References:

Callison, Daniel and Leslie Preddy. The Blue Book on Information Age Inquiry Instruction and Literacy. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2006.

Douglas, Stephen. The Redhead Encyclopedia. Newport Beach, CA: Redheads International, 1996.

Watching into Wondering

Before stumbling upon the redhead extinction question, I was very apprehensive about the inquiry process. I could really relate to the feelings component of Carol Kuhlthau's Information Search Process model, specifically feeling confusion and anxiety at selecting a topic. I wanted to pick something that I really liked or was interested in, but also felt that I needed something that could translate into curriculum standards. It was somewhat thinking about huge topics like New York City or Bipolar Disorder and how I was going to narrow those down into one focus, when I have so many questions.

After considering the my different topics of interest, I somewhat accidentally landed on the question, "Will redheads become extinct?" I have decided to inquire more into this topic because once I started thinking about it, I really couldn't stop. After hearing that redheads may become extinct, I want to know if this is really true and supported by scientific evidence. I also want to know why redheads are so rare in the first place. What goes into the genetics of it? What part of the world did redheads come from? I think this would be a good time to make a concept map to build on.

I see a few possible curriculum connections to this topic at this point. I may derive others as the process continues. From some initial reading that I've done, genetics plays a big part in this redhead phenomenon. By examining the Indiana High School Academic Standards for Biology, I have identified the following standards which can be connected:

• B.1.21 Understand and explain that the information passed from parents to offspring is transmitted by means of genes which are coded in DNA molecules
• B.1.28 Illustrate that the sorting and recombination of genes in sexual reproduction results in a great variety of possible gene combinations form the offspring of any two parents. Recognize that genetic variation can occur from such processes as crossing over, jumping genes, and deletion and duplication of genes.
• B.1.29 Understand that and explain how the actions of genes, patterns of inheritance, and the reproduction of cells and organisms account for the continuity of life, and give examples of how inherited characteristics can be observed at molecular and whole-organism levels – in structure, chemistry, or behavior.

As I become more familiar with this topic, I will be able to come up with some ideas for student experiences that match these standards.

I will continue to wonder and question about this question -will redheads become extinct? - and decide what background information is needed to address the question. What are the most important connections to this idea? Is it a genetic problem or a sociological one? I'm sure I will stumble upon some fun facts along the way that I will share with you.

Stay tuned. . .

Urgent Question

I was literally hit over the head with a huge question and topic of interest this morning. I have wondered about it in the past, but haven't really thought about it lately. About a year ago, my red head friend told me she heard that red heads are going extinct by 2100. She read it in a newspaper. Today my other red head friend said that she took her red head son to the pediatrician was told the same thing. Being a red head myself, this topic is very interesting to me and now I feel a great sense of urgency to find out about the research behind this theory. I also want to know if there is anything that can be done to stop this from happening. Are there any organizations that are involved in this dilemma?

This is one more topic to add to my list, which I should narrow down soon. At the moment, red heads going extinct seems the most thought-provoking to me, but I will not through the others out just yet.

Beginning to question

I started brainstorming some ideas for my personal inquiry this past week. In the past, I have usually been quick to pick a "research topic" and did not spend much time reflecting on the possibilities. I hope to learn as much from this process of inquiry as you learn from my final product.

Some things I've been thinking about lately are:

• Civil Rights - because it is Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• Bipolar Disorder - because there was a shooting at my former workplace (Easter Seals Crossroads) and the gunman was an employee with this illness
• birth order - because I have a younger and much different brother
• surviving in the wild - Does anyone watch Survivorman or Man vs. Wild? I love these shows!
• Young Adult books and trends - I'm in a YA book group and just read Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.
• New York City - I'm helping my best friend plan a trip there and I love the city. I wonder about how it came to be one of the most spectacular cities in existence. I marvel at the people, architecture, living arts, and geography.

Now I just have to decide which topic I'd like to explore more. If I had to say where I am right now in the inquiry process I'm Questioning via Jamie McKenzie's model of inquiry, or starting Watching & Wondering via Annette Lamb's model. I have much more wondering and questioning to do at this point. I'll have to think about which subject is most urgent and also enjoyable to me at this time.

Until next time, feel free to comment on my topics of interest:)

Information Inquiry

I've deleted my old blog content so that I may use this account to post for my class on Information Inquiry. I look forward to learning more about inquiry and becoming a regular blogger, sharing my inquiry findings with others.