Research Skills Big6 - Step 2. Information Seeking Strategies
The purpose of this step is to determine all possible sources and to select the best sources.
Sub-skills
You have to brainstorm the range of possible resources to determine the research topic and questions, and to evaluate the different possible sources to determine priorities and select the best one.
Questions:
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What are all the possible sources to check?
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What are the best sources of information for this task?
You will involve in
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determining a focus for the research - narrowing the topic and developing questions
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selecting appropriate information sources
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planning search strategies
Questions:
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How to find information for this topic?
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What is an information lifecycle?
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What types of sources I can find, e.g. electronic resources, printed resources or audiovisual resources?
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How do I select sources which is best for this project?
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How do I develop searching strategies?
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How do I use Boolean operations?
Solution 1 – Searching in the libraries (Hard Copy)
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Use online catalogue of libraries.
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Go to the library where you can find the resources you need.
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Ask teacher librarian or library assistant if you have any problems.
Solution 2 – Searching on Internet (Soft Copy)
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Choose an appropriate searching engine
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Make use of appropriate Boolean.
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Check the reliability of the website information before using that information.
This page shows how information is created.
http://www.nwmissouri.edu/library/courses/research/timeline.htm
This page shows information needs and approprate sources.
http://www.lib.umd.edu/ues/guides/identifying-resources#needs
This page shows the Boolean Machine.
http://www.kathyschrock.net/rbs3k/boolean/
This page is to show how to use the Google Search Engine more effectively.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6mvnMW_nnY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMV7X3W_beg
This video is to show the Boolean searching basics.
http://www.wikihow.com/Get-the-Best-Results-with-Internet-Search-Engines
This page shows how to get the best results with internet searching engines.
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How to Search a Word on a Webpage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wtn79_jiU9E
This video shows how to search a word on a webpage.
http://www.wikihow.com/Search-for-a-Word-on-a-Webpage
This page shows how to search for a word on a webpage.
http://www.wikihow.com/Search-Google
This page shows how to search with google.
http://www.lib.polyu.edu.hk/electdb/cdguide/WiseNews.pdf
This page shows how to use WiseNews searching.
https://sites.google.com/site/gwebsearcheducation/master-lessons
This page shows how to do information searching with the google search education evangelism.
This page shows how to use google scholar.
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Google Public Data Explorer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AM6w_tUlIn4
This page shows how to use google public data explorer.
http://www.wsd.gov.hk/en/water_resources/raw_water_sources/dongjiang_raw_water/index.html
http://www.dsd.gov.hk/EN/Sewerage/Environmental_Consideration/Reclaimed_Water/index.html
These pages show water affairs by the HK government department
Information Searching Engines
The following are popular information searching engines.
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WiseSearch http://kcndc.wisenews.net/wisecampus/index.do;jsessionid=01661C1B8948AC147763FC5CAE02E3AD.wise25?_
A unique one-stop diversified database for superior search efficiency.
It provides listed features and examples of virtual learning commons.
Readers should feel free to recommend their own VLC sites as examples from master's students as a class assignment.
A search engine which is similar to Google.
A search engine which is similar to Google.