Learning Task 5: Research Information
Describe Ways to Research Information
Understanding how to research information may be a part of both your educational program as well as your job, not to mention a vital life skill. Being able to efficiently locate information on specific subjects, products, techniques, and other general information can be a great time saver and ensure that the information you locate is of value.
The following are just a few tips on how to research information effectively:
- Know your research topic or the information you are looking for. What are the keywords or phrases associated with your topic? Having a good understanding of what you are looking for will determine the success you have in locating the correct information. Is the topic very general or specific? In general, the more specific your topic, the more complex your search will be. For example, a broad search would be to find some general information on car recalls. A more complex search would be to find information on car recalls in 2015 for a specific manufacturer, including the types of recall, models of cars, and total number of cars affected.
- Know the resources available to you. If you are studying on campus, get to know your library or learning commons. Check out their website and the resources available to you on line and in person. In many cases, librarians have prepared study and research guides for students by discipline. General tours and information sessions are often available at the start of the term and a session may also be included as part of your program.
Once you’ve narrowed down the topic or identified the information you need to find, you have a number of different resources available to help you gather the information required. These resources may include:- books, magazines, newspapers, encyclopedias, dictionaries
- scholarly and trade publications
- supplier documentation
- directories, handbooks, manuals
- almanacs
- atlases and gazetteers
- research reports
- government information
- statistics, maps, pictures, photos, images
- expert opinions
- interviews
The information you need may be available in a school or public library, on the Internet, or through personal contacts.
Depending on the information you require, you may have to access information in a number of different forms of media. For example, historical information may be available only on microfilm or microfiche. Other information may be on VHC, DVDs, CDs, slides, CD-ROMs, proprietary software/databases, or the Internet. - Conduct your search. Most searches today are conducted using online search engines and databases. Examples of free search engines include Google, Google Scholar, Bing, and Ask. Some search engines are proprietary and are accessible only through subscription by a library, such as Business Source Complete and Academic Search. There are also a number of private companies that provide access to information for a fee. It is important to keep in mind that many of t