REACTS

The late 1980s was a time when many librarians and educators were discussing the importance of information skills. Barbara Stripling and Judy Pitts focused their attention on the need for high level thinking in the research process. It became known as the Stripling and Pitts Research Process Model or REACTS.

Read the article Teaching Inquiry with Primary Sources to see REACTS in action.

REACTS

The REACTS Taxonomy developed by Barbara Stripling and Judy Pitts focuses on critical thinking in the research process. This model focuses on strategies for ensuring high level thinking and resulting quality products. If students research at a low level, they're likely to react at a low level. In other words, if students spend their time collecting facts, they'll probably create a low-level recall-type report. However if they spend their time in the research process integrating, concluding, and conceptualizing, then their final product will be reflect transformation and synthesis of information.

The REACTS Taxonomy includes the following elements:

Recalling
Explaining
Analyzing
Challenging
Transforming
Synthesizing

Ten Step Research Process

Along with the the teaching strategies associated with the REACTS Taxonomy, Stripling and Pitts designed a 10-step process to help students develop their term paper from topic selection to final product. Each step includes reflective questions to help the student focus their activities.

Choose a broad topic
Get an overview
Narrow the topic
Develop thesis statement
Formulate questions
Plan for research
Find, analyze, evaluate
Evaluate evidence
Establish conclusions
Create and present final product

Learn More

Brainstorms and Blueprints: Teaching Research as a Thinking Process by Barbara Stripling, and Judy Pitts. Engelwood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1988.

REACTS Taxonomy (Word doc) by Barbara Stripling.

Stripling and Pitts Research Process Model. This was one of the earlier models developed.