Why
you should attend:
There
has never been such a great amount of publicly available
information, nor such a variety of tools and systems for
finding it. But this wealth of information sources and
searching options can be confusing, and many people rely
on just a few familiar sources.
This
course is designed for those who have to carry out searches
- reference or research - of varied kinds, and who need
an overview of the kinds of sources available, the kinds
of systems which give access to them, and the most effective
ways of finding the right information quickly.
The
course covers different kinds of queries (reference and
research, open and closed ..), and the way these are matched
to sources and search techniques. It deals with varying
kinds of resources: by level (primary, secondary…),
by content (full-text, bibliographic, factual …),
and by environment (web pages, structured online databases
…). It compares the main search systems and interfaces
(web search engines, metasearch engines, online databases
…), illustrates some effective search tactics, and
shows how these can be combined into a strategic approach
for finding the right information. Finally, it shows how
novice searchers can gain expertise in the systems which
are most useful to them, and how to keep up with new developments.
Please
note: this course aims to give an overview, and does
not deal with any one search system, or any one type of
information resource, in depth. It is intended for those
with limited experience in searching, and is not a 'masterclass'.
On
completing this course, you will:
