| General Information | | | Research as a Process | | | Information Literacy in the Classroom | | | Ethics of Information | | | Assessment |
| Recognizing a Need | | | Accessing Information | | | Evaluating Information | | | Bibliography | | | Resources |
The best way to begin a search for information is to define the information need. Information needs can be as varied as an answer to a specific factual question, a history of the research done on a particular issue, a general overview of a topic, or anything in between. You may need an overview, a comprehensive search of research on a topic, a quick reference to a fact, or an in-depth treatment. The scope of the topic may be clearly defined until some preliminary research is done.
One common difficulty found in student research projects is that topics chosen to research are either too narrow or too broad. To provide students with hints on how to narrow or broaden their topic, use this handout and the related worksheet.
Additional information about defining research topics can be found at http://www.lib.montana.edu/~alivy/intro1.htm.
At Watzek Library, new students are confronted with an extensive collection of electronic and print materials; a completely foreign classification (shelving) system (high schools and public libraries use the Dewey Decimal system; colleges and universities usually use the Library of Congress system); and a new physical space to navigate. The first module of TILT, which has been in the past required of first-year students, provides students with an introduction to Lewis & Clark College's Information Technology services, Watzek Library's layout and organization, and hints for getting started on research. TILT Module 1: Getting Started can be accessed by clicking on the "Visitor" link. Module 1 helps students:
When the students are ready to begin their research, they should be encouraged to take TILT Module 3: Searching. Module 3 helps students:
Another helpful research tool is the Search Strategy Checklist, which prompts students to examine a variety of sources for their research and asks them to record their progress.
While TILT Module 3 does provide some tips for searching on the Web, it does not go into detail about the variety of search tools available and how to best use them. Research with the Web is an outline of a PowerPoint presentation that will guide you through both basic and advanced searching techniques and will provide an introduction to a variety of search tools. The presentation was last updated Feburary 2003, and some pages (such as search engine size) may reflect outdated information. A chart provides a breakdown of some information about different search engines and directories. Again, this was last updated in February 2003 and, considering how quickly the search engines change, it will soon be out of date.
Access the different types of Web tools through Watzek Library's Search
the Web page.
Applying a critical eye to all of the resources you find during your research is essential, but it is particularly important when you using Web sites and Internet documents. High-quality and scholarly information is available on the Internet, but so is a lot of junk. Since no one is screening this for you, it is important that you develop the skills to evaluate what you find. TILT Module 4: Evaluating will assist students in
More extensive information about evaluating Web sites might be needed and the criteria listed in Evaluating World Wide Web Resources may be of help to students.
Search Engine Watch
http://www.searchenginewatch.com
Provides up-to-date information about Search Engine tools, size, features, and updates on new happenings on the Web.
Guide to Web Searching
http://www.lib.umt.edu/guide/basic3.htm
Bibliography on Evaluating Internet Resources
http://www.lib.vt.edu/research/evaluate/evalbiblio.html
Information and its Counterfeits: Propaganda, Misinformation and Disinformation
http://www.library.jhu.edu/elp/useit/evaluate/counterfeit.html