Online
searching; strategies and tactics for finding the right
information
Programme Features
This
practically-oriented one-day course gives participants
insights, reinforced by practical exercises, into the
most effective ways of finding information from digital
sources.
- Types
of information resources
- Basics
of online retrieval: search strategy and tactics
- Interfaces
and access points
- The fundamental
search strategies
- Completing
and refining searches
- Finding
the 'right' information
Why
you should attend:
Online
searching systems have been available for over 30 years,
but finding the right information quickly is still not
simple. Many searchers are confused by the variety of
sources and interfaces available: web search engines,
image and newsgroup searches, bibliographic files, library
catalogues, metasearch engines, factual databanks, subject
gateways and portals, etc.
This
course gives an overall understanding of the area, coupled
with specific training in applying fundamental search
strategies, and choosing the most appropriate sources
and access points. Emphasis is placed on finding the 'right
sort' of information, and on handling 'difficult' searches.
The
course is practical in nature, based on demonstrations
and practical exercises. Participants are invited to adapt
'generic' exercises to their own subject areas, and personal
interests. Systems will be demonstrated depending on interests
on participants, but will always include Internet search
engines [general, specialised and meta] and structured,
homogenous databases [e.g. on the Dialog system]. Ranking
and simple bibliometrics will be covered.
On
completing this course, you will :
- Understand
the variety of searching systems and information resources
available
- Be able
to choose the most appropriate sources and interfaces
for searching
- Be able
to carry out effective searches to find the right
quality and quality of information
- Know what
to do when a search is not finding what is needed
Companion
Course:
A Strategic approach to internet research
