Library Research Skills
Unit 3
Information Searching
Search: to look for or examine in an effort to discover something
Searching is a process of discovery that may expand your knowledge and broaden your views. It is one of the most creative aspects of research. Once you master some techniques, you might find you enjoy it.
Sometimes you may find more information than you want. Knowing how to focus your search can reduce what you find to a more manageable amount. On the other hand, your search might uncover no information at all. If so, you have to be persistent - possibly trying different approaches to find what you need.
Selecting the best source to search, choosing the most appropriate words, and combining them successfully are skills you will develop in this module.
After completing this Unit, you should be able to:
- identify appropriate strategies for selecting search terms
- identify types of information available in library databases
- select appropriate library databases
- perform effective database searching
- list methods to search using keywords and subject headings and combine these search terms effectively
- list keywords or phrases in a research title
- select appropriate strategies for searching the Web
