Unlike the Big 6 and ISP, there are only four stages (not even stages! They are questions!) that the information seeker must ask and the answers guide the next stage of discovery. And our professor wrote the book on how to utilize I-Search at the secondary and post-secondary levels. So let us compare, contrast and analyze.
Steps in the Process: As I mentioned a moment ago, there are only four key steps in this process, rather than six the other processes use. Not only is brevity helpful, but they are questions the students ask themselves rather than serving as checkpoints for the process like in Big 6 and ISP. Students will not ask themselves whether they are entering the "locating sources" phase or the "evaluating sources" phase, but they will ask "what do I already know about this?" and "where can I find the answer?" Keeping a journal of discoveries made along the way, such as a learning log, will help in future searches. This is a different process from the other two processes, which are rather similar.
Outcomes: As I just eluded to, students will not remember the steps of an overcomplicated process. The other processes do not allow the student to guide their own choice of topic. I-Search lets the topic choose the seeker. Even Kuhlthau's own chart on ISP shows that initially the student has less interest in the project since she claims interest grows as the project proceeds. Also, I-Search allows the student to make choices concerning the token of the research and its appropriate medium. The other models are far more rigid in plucking out information to be regurgitated into a traditional research medium.
Role of the Librarian: The Librarian is the sherpa guide, if you will, on the journey to find knowledge. The librarian should suggest accurate and relevant resources to the student on the topic they have chosen, and perhaps ask the questions that move the student through the process. The student would need a wide flexibility to choose the topic, select source material, present their findings and scratch the "itch" that started their research. Teachers and librarians play a far more supportive role of encourager and guideposts as the student finds the answers they seek. The librarian and teacher can also assemble student groups that seek answers to questions through practice sessions to develop the metacognitive skills of the individual students in simulated problems and real-life situations.
Placement on the Continuum: My feeling is that this process includes elements of library skills, information skills, information literacy and to a lesser extent inquiry-based learning. To place it in a single category, I would classify it as information skills.
