Information Literacy: Searching as strategic exploration

The information literate student is able to:

• determine the initial scope of the task required to meet their information needs;
• identify interested parties, such as scholars, organizations, governments, and industries, who might produce information about a topic and then determine how to access that information;
• utilize divergent (e.g., brainstorming) and convergent (e.g., selecting the best source) thinking when searching;
• match information needs and search strategies to appropriate search tools;
• design and refine needs and search strategies as necessary, based on search results;
• understand how information systems (i.e., collections of recorded information) are organized in order to access relevant information;
• use different types of searching language (e.g., controlled vocabulary, keywords, natural language) appropriately;
• manage searching processes and results effectively.

Before you formulate your research question, you should carefully read and analyze the assignment.  Understanding the assignment will allow you to develop a better research question, help you organize your findings, and save you time in the long run.  When reviewing the assignment, you should:

• Identify words telling you what to do:
  • Summarize
  • Evaluate
  • Compare
  • Explain
  • Argue
• Identify limiters:
  • "two case studies"
  • "peer-reviewed research"
  • "strengths and weaknesses"
• Identify the key theme:
  • "a known treatment for low back pain from our class discussions"

Information literate learners:

• exhibit mental flexibility and creativity;
• understand that first attempts at searching do not always produce adequate results;
• realize that information sources vary greatly in content and format and have varying relevance and value, depending on the needs and nature of the search;
• seek guidance from experts, such as librarians, researchers, and professionals;
• recognize the value of browsing and other serendipitous methods of information gathering;
• persist in the face of search challenges, and know when they have enough information to complete the task.

Before you begin researching, you want to set a realistic plan of action.  The subject of a 5 page paper must be much more refined than the subject of a 15 page paper.  Knowing the requirements before beginning will save you time and help you pick an appropriate topic.

• When is the assignment due?
• What is the required length?
• How many and what type of sources are required?
• Who is your audience?