IL Step 2: Searching for Information Information Literacy 1

IL Step 2:IL Step 2:Searching for InformationSearching for Information

Information LiteracyInformation Literacy 11

Searching for Information: Searching for Information: IntroductionIntroduction

Questions to consider► What exactly am I looking for?► Where might I find it?► How much do I need?

Types of Search► Known Item Search► Simple Search► Complex Search► Following a Thread


Search Type:Search Type: Known Item Search Known Item Search Example

► Need the full-text of a publication with known bibliographic information• You know author, article title, journal title

Strategy 1► Search for article title in Library Catalogue (LC)► Problem

• LC searches at the level of book & journal titles

Strategy 2► Search for journal title in LC► Search in the located journal for the article

Strategy 3► Search the bibliographic databases


Search Type:Search Type: Simple SearchSimple Search Characteristic

► Uses a single word or phrase to search

Case 1► Subject is straightforward► Need just a few relevant documents► e.g., smart phone, skype

Case 2► Need to get a quick overview of the data content

Case 3► To identify related terms to improve the query

• Synonyms, technical terms, jargons


Search Type:Search Type: Complex SearchComplex Search Characteristic

► Involves a combination of search terms► Needs a search strategy

Search Strategy► Identify key concepts► Find the right search terms► Combine search terms► Apply search options► Refine the search


Complex Search: Complex Search: Search StrategySearch Strategy Identify Key Concepts

► Write out a few detailed sentences about the topic• Main themes can be illustrated by the keywords used in the topic description

► Split your subject into main themes/concepts and identify keywords• Underline the main words in the sentences.

Why should academic libraries get more involved in the research process and be responsible for data curation?

► Keywords and key phrases provide initial search terms


Complex Search: Complex Search: Search StrategySearch Strategy Find the Right Search Terms

► Expand the key concepts with additional terms• Synonyms, related terms, word variations • Via dictionaries, thesauri, encyclopedia, Simple Search

► Synonyms• Acronyms: e.g., Geographical Information Systems/GIS• Local variations: e.g. maize/corn

► Word Variations• Singular and plural forms: e.g. woman/women• Grammatical variations like nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs

e.g. tourist/tourism, house/housing

► Related Terms• Ideas associated with the subject

e.g., leisure: recreation, vacation, tourism• Broader Terms

To find more general information (e.g., Hyundai: Corporation)• Narrower Terms

To find more specific information (e.g., Hyundai: Heavy Industries)


Complex Search: Complex Search: Search StrategySearch Strategy Combine Search Terms

► Define relation between search terms► AND → terms/concepts that are not related

• Retrieves records that include all terms• Narrows the search

► OR → related terms, synonyms• Retrieves records that include either terms• Broadens the search

► NOT → antonyms, alternate terms for polysemes• Eliminates records that include NOT term• Narrows the search


Complex Search: Complex Search: Search StrategySearch Strategy Apply Search Options

► Learn the search options available in your search tool► General Search Options

• Wildcards (Truncation, Masking) Single character: analy?e to findfor analyze, analyse Multiple characters: analy* for analyze, analyse, analysis, analytical, etc.

• Phrase Search (Exact Match) Multi-term concept: “citation analysis” Find records with the exact phrase

• Proximity Search Find records with words near one another e.g., citation NEAR analysis

• Field Search Search specific fields (e.g., title, author) Typical database search


Complex Search: Complex Search: Search StrategySearch Strategy Refine the Search

► Too few results• Use more synonyms, word variations or related terms combined with OR.• Use broader, more general terms• Use fewer concepts• Reduce search limits (e.g., field restriction, publication date)• Check for spelling mistakes• Choose another database

► Too many results• Remove broad search terms, or word variations• Add an extra concept if appropriate• Limit the search (e.g., title, year)


Search Type:Search Type: Following a ThreadFollowing a Thread Characteristic

► Uses relevant items found as introductions to other information

Case 1► Browse the shelves/categories where relevant item is found

• Books on a subject are often shelved together• For digital information, use the categories as virtual shelves

Case 2► Use citations/references to find related (older) information

• Scholarly publications contain citations and reference lists • They point to the sources of author’s information, related research, or seminal

work in author’s field• Usually cited works are of high quality

Case 3► Search for related article of relevant item in databases

• Related articles have a number of common references• Offered by some bibliographical databases (Web of Science, Scopus, Pubmed)


Online ResourcesOnline Resources Simple Search

► Google► Answers.com► Ask.com

Dictionary/Thesaurus► Dictionary.com► Merriam-Webster Online► The Free Dictionary► WordNet

Encyclopedia► Wikipedia► Britannica► Encyclopedia.com


http://www.google.com/

Sample QuestionsSample Questions List the key concepts in the topic description below.

“Can GIS and Earth Observation techniques be used to aid hydrologic analysis?”

GIS

Earth Observationhydrologic analysis


Sample QuestionsSample Questions List the potential search terms associated with key concepts.


► GIS

• GIS, geographic information system(s), geospatial information system(s)

► Earth Observation• earth observation technology, earth observation technologies

► hydrologic analysis• hydrologic(al) analysis, hydrologic(al) model(ing),

water management, water resources analysis


Sample QuestionsSample Questions Define relationships between search terms.“Can GIS and Earth Observation techniques be used to aid hydrologic analysis?”

► GIS• GIS, geographic information system(s), geospatial information system(s)

► Earth Observation• earth observation technology, earth observation technologies

► hydrologic analysis• hydrologic(al) analysis, hydrologic(al) model(ing),

water management, water resources analysis

(GIS OR geographic information system(s) OR geospatial information system(s)) AND

(earth observation technology OR earth observation technologies) AND(hydrologic(al) analysis OR hydrologic(al) model(ing) OR water management OR water resources analysis)


Sample QuestionsSample Questions Refine the query below with search options

(i.e., wildcard, exact match, proximity match, field search)


► GIS, Earth Observation, hydrologic analysis

(GIS OR geographic information system(s) OR geospatial information system(s)) AND(earth observation technology OR earth observation technologies) AND(hydrologic(al) analysis OR hydrologic(al) model(ing) OR water management OR water resources analysis)

(GIS OR “geographic information system?” OR “geospatial information system?”) AND

(“earth observation technolog*”) AND(“hydrologic* analysis” OR “hydrologic* model* OR “water management” OR “water resources analysis”)


Sample QuestionsSample Questions The query below returned too few results. Reformulate the

query.


► GIS, Earth Observation, hydrologic analysis

(GIS OR “geographic information system?” OR “geospatial information system?”) AND(“earth observation technolog*”) AND(“hydrologic* analysis” OR “hydrologic* model* OR “water management” OR “water resources analysis”)

(GIS OR “geographic information system?” OR “geospatial information system?”) OR

(“earth observation technolog*”) AND(“hydrologic* analysis” OR “hydrologic* model* OR “water management” OR “water resources analysis”)


Cognitive Models of IRCognitive Models of IR Berrypicking

► Search evolves as searchers’ cognitive model changes• search → evaluate → new relevant information

→ modified search (query, method, data source) → repeat

Exploratory Search► Iterative refinement of search

• ill-defined search goals• evolving criteria for relevance


Traditional Model

Berrypicking Model (Bates, 1989)

Documents

IL Step 2: Searching for Information Information Literacy 1