Communication

Here is a summary of what we practiced during the class session.

Step 1: Construct a search strategy.

• State your question as a sentence.
• Identify key concepts that must be present in the information source; use the connector AND.
• Consider related terms that might be used for a key concept; use the connector OR
• Use truncation symbol for word variations; use an * (asterisk) or most databases; Lexis/Nexis uses  ! (exclamation mark).
• Use “ “ (double quotation) for phrases. Don’t overuse phrase searching. Consider proximity connectors for phrase variation: n# or w#.

Step 2: Determine the type of information you need and where you might find it.

Available through the library.

Use OneSearch or the library databases to locate:

Available in library databases 

Use Internet search tool (Google, Bing, etc.)

Step 3: Evaluate your information using the 5W + 1H model or SIFT method (for websites)  

• Use the Advanced Evaluation Techniques tab on the left.