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ENG112 Search Strategies Assignment

Introduction: Getting started by identifying a problem and working toward finding a solution

English Department Support Materials

The following is meant to be used as support material related to a library instruction session conducted by a library instructor and an English Department course instructor.

A computer alone, even one connected to the Internet and running a World Wide Web browser is not enough to fulfill your information needs for this project but it is a useful place to start. Remember, the BHCC Library and Information Center offers six workshops a week for students interested in learning more about any and all aspects of information use.

First, let's consider your assignment. Identifying what you need and where you can go to get it and then how to integrate that information in a meaningful way into a paper while recognizing the source of your information is as much of a skill as it is an art. Your assignment has what we call "deliverables." What are they are where should we begin?

For example, your assignment requires you to consider a range of sources. Feel free to checkout the other files on the library instruction web page. Much of what you see here is duplicated in the other classes but if you're getting the idea of how hypertext linking within a file works then you'll find it easy to navigate from one file to the next. It takes practice to know what links to follow and and focusing only on what you need as you need it.

Let's look at using subscription databases

Since online sources change all the time, be prepared to spend some time reviewing the following resources. You'll want to be sure to follow the screen prompts, check the online search tips, and refer to the online help resources for " in context " search assistance and related information. What do I do to begin?

Online resources can help you identify keywords that will help make your searching more efficient and effective. For statistics and current news, you can't find better than Lexis Nexis Academic Universe. It's easy to use and well suited for your problem-solution investigation. Give it a try. http://www.lexis-nexis.com/universe -- Lexis-Nexis offers a Reference database that includes biographical information and also contains a large Newspaper database that includes many fulltext articles.

Let's look for news related material in a subscription database called Facts.com

As always, before using any online search tool, pause for a moment to consider the tool you're using. Consider things like where did it come from, who is offering the information and for what purposes, how does the search tool work, and other basic information evaluation questions that will serve you and your task at hand. First, click on click on the question mark that signifies the help feature of the site. Look for search tips unique to this information provider, details about the company providing the databases and specifics about how to cite information taken from this source. For example, you'll want to pay particular attention to the fact that this database uses " Stop Words " that could interfere with search techniques that are otherwsie very effective when using other search tools.

Evaluate your source before using it! Consider how accurate its content is, who posted the content, how credible the content seems, the purpose of the information on the web, etc.


The Library at California State University offers 9 online tutorials dealing with the most basic elements of getting started on your search for information with its look at beginning a research topic to considering media literacy issues. Its tutorials offer the option of skipping around so you can look at just what you need when you need it. The tutorials guide you through the steps of identifying and clarifying your topic, locating appropriate resources and evaluating the materials your find. Along with its online exercises you'll be supplied with suggested answers which you can compare to your own responses. You can submit your work online if you choose and even requestthat your instructor be notified of your practice activity.

Use the online tutorials, including this web file, to guide your search for information while the search is underway. Substitute the given examples for your topic and watch how efficiently and effectively your search for infomration progresses. You'll see that your results are much more on target than if you just stumbled through the search process without using the guides. For example, what if the problem you identified was cigarette smoking. Pay attention to the process as much as the specifics about how we get where we're going.

Identify keywords that will aid in the search for information. If you have trouble coming up with synonyms consult a Dictionary or a Thesaurus. For a more direct route to alternative terms, use the subject headings in the book catalog.Click on Subject, enter the term smoking and view the links to related terms.

Let's take a look at the Reference Shelf at the Internet Public Library. Here, I'm going to ask you to spend a little time investigating several categories of information. There are abouta dozen categories highlighted on the page. If you are asked to find information aboutCigarette Smoking, which categories would you investigate? Name three. If you said Health & Medical Sciences, Law, Government &Political Science, and Social Sciences then you are well on your way to getting the research part of your assignment done. Keep these categories in mind throughout the search process.

Searching in the physical library and searching on the web give you an opportunity to consider not only the information you produced but the path you used to locate the information. A new file is underconstruction to help students consider the use of computers and software in the information access and retrieval process. If you're pressed for time, take a look at a few search engines that may be useful for this topic:

Here are a few sites that would help on a search if smoking or some other controversial topic of social interest was the topic NOTE: Electronic resources are only one format. It's content you're after so don't think that all that you need is available through a computer screen and keyboard. Use the online catalog to find books| and go to the complete periodicals list| to find the library's print periodical holdings. At the top of the page is a link to Serials Solutions| which will tell you which databases provide access to a particular periodical.

Finally, remember that you need to site your sources in any paper that you write. There are many formats for doing this-MLA, APA, Turabian, etc. The library suscribes to software called NoodleTools| to help you with this. To use noodletools you need to create a personal account, and there is an online tutorial| to give you the basics.