5 Steps

When looking for information, it is tempting to do a quick and shallow search, choose the easiest sources, and then base your answers and decisions on what you read. This does not work in a deep dive since your job is to slow down, read and think carefully, and not only take in the information but evaluate how it fits with other things you leave. You’ll likely be reading multiple sources with similar information- that is the goal. By combining many sources of reliable, valid information, you can synthesize the info and answer your question, make decisions or recommendations, or build an action plan (depending on your goal!).

This careful, deliberative evidence-based process is the work of a college-educated person, of a scholar!

The steps of the deep dive process are below and each has its own page in this guide, with information on each and ways to seek more information or support in completing it.

Step 1: Identify the topic or idea

Step 2: Gain background knowledge

Step 3: Write your focus question (also known as the guiding or overarching question)

Step 4: Identify sources

Step 5: Read and take notes

Step 6: Create a bibliography

Step 7: Synthesize

Step 8: Document your sources with an annotated bibliography

Step 9: Share your answer to your question with a presentation