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2.
Use a search engine: Does it contain a directory of topics?
Find the best combination of key words to locate information that you need
and enter them into the search engine.
3.
Get assistance from your local research librarian
4.
Refer to known, recommended, expert, or reviewed web sites
5.
Refer to professional portals
that may have directories or collections by topic.
6.
Review the number of options returned
If there are too many web sites, add more keywords.
If there are too few options, narrow/delete some keywords, or substitute
other key words.
7.
Review the first pages returned
If these are not helpful, review your key words for a better description.
8.
Use
advanced search
options in search engines:
Search options include:
Key word combinations, including Boolean strings
Locations where key words are found
i. For example: in the title, 1st paragraphs, coded metadata
Languages to search in
Sites containing media files
i. Images, videos, MP3/music, ActiveX, JAVA, etc.
Dates web sites were created or updated
9.
Research using several search engines
Each search engine has a different database of web sites it searches
Some "Meta-Search" engines actually search other search engines;
if one
search engine returns few web sites, another may return more
10.
Evaluate the content of the web sites you've found
11.
Track your search
List resources you checked, including the date you checked them
Identify the resource, especially its location and the date you found it
12.
When printing, set your options to print:
Title of the page | the Web address | the date printed
R: Thinking critically
Critical thinking reviews a topic or problem with open-mindedness. This exercise outlines
the first stage of applying a critical thinking approach to developing and understanding
a topic. You will:
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Section 6 – Study Skills