Effective Research
Improving your skills
Research
Skills
Think
Ask
Read
Imagine
Create
@ Your Library!
Key Question:
What is the task that I have to do?
What do I have to do?
What is the timescale?
What do I already know?
What do I need to find out?
Where can I find the
information I need?
What are the keywords
I am going to use?
Does this information
answer my questions
How do I use this source of information effectively?
Who can I ask to help me?
Key Question: Which questions should I keep in mind as I search?
Key Question: How can I use sources of information effectively?
How can I assess and
evaluate my sources?
How do I skim and scan
ext for information?
What are the best ways of taking
 and organising notes?
How do I select relevant information?
Do I have enough relevant information
to complete the task?
How do I compile my bibliography
and cite my sources properly? 
Key Question: How do I use all of the information I have found?
How can I organise this information
so that I can understand it better?
Does this information answer my questions?
Do I need to find more information?
Key Question: How can I share this information with other people?
How do I present and communicate the information
bearing in mind the task and the audience?
How do I evaluate my work
and improve my skills for next time?
How do I make sure that I don't plagiarise
other peoples' work?
How do I meet the guidelines for the task?
?
Think
Ask
Read
Imagine
Create
Here are the sources for this presentation!
Thanks to my PLN on Twitter for your help with this Prezi
Images
Knol, M (2008) Google logo render - Mark Knol. Flickr [Online]
Available at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/markknol/2568436053/
Accessed: 22 June 2010

Volant, L (2010) Google Logo in CSS. Flickt [Online]
Available at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27048731@N03/4558343430/
Accessed: 22 June 2010

All online resources are listed on the Library Online website, under Learning Resources:
http://library-online.org.uk
What is research?
Go straight to Google?
Type in the first word you can think of?
Click on the first website?
Cut and paste something that looks OK?
Mix it all together?
Then hand it in?
Remember
You must RECORD your sources
...and REFERENCE them in your work....
...and make a BIBLIOGRAPHY at the end.
Are YOU a good info searcher?
Do you know how to use Google to the max?
Do you think about your search terms?
Or, do you just type the first word that comes into your head?
Do you use Google Advanced Search?
http://www.google.co.uk/advanced_search?hl=en
Google excludes common words like "I" and "the".
" "
Placing text in quotes searches for that exact phrase.
Example:
Searching for "how to write a bibliography" gives you search results that contain that exact phrase.
OR
Putting OR (must be in capitals) includes either of the words.
Example:
Searching for ipod OR mp3 player gives your results that contain either ipod or mp3 player.
...
Putting ... between numbers searches for numbers in that range.
Example:
Searching for economy 1928...1932 gives you results that contain economy and any number between 1928 and 1932.
site:
Search within a web domain by including site: and the URL.
Example:
Searching for battery site:learninginhand.com searches the Learning in Hand site for battery.
link:
Search for sites that link to another by including link: and URL.
Example:
Searching for link:azk12.org gives you results that contain links to azk12.org.
related:
Inluding related: and the URL searches for results that are somehow related to that URL.
Example:
Searching for related:google.com gives you results that have to do with searching the Web.
~
Placing text a ~ in front of a word searches for that word and all its synonyms.
Example:
Searching for cat ~nutrition gives your results that contain cat along with nutrition, food, protein, health, etc.
-
Example:
None of your results will have the word computer in them if you search for apple -computer.
Placing a - in front of a term excludes that word.
define:
Get definitions of a word from multiple sources.
map
Quickly call up a map of a location.
info:
Get information about a URL, including a short description, links to its cache, similar pages, and sites that link to that URL.
Vincent, T Google Search Tricks
Avaiable at:
http://prezi.com/mohshuoe-qcf/google-search-tricks/
Accessed: 22 June 2010
Knol (2008)
Volant (2010)