To be able to carry out project assignments effectively, you need reliable information. After all, what you produce has to be properly substantiated. This will also be the case in your future career. To find information, it is essential to be able to search effectively. In this course, you will learn:
what the best steps are for finding the right information
ways of thinking up useful search terms
how to use a number of internet resources and databases
how to evaluate the information you find
how to incorporate this information correctly into your reports
The course consists of 6 modules and a final exam. Each module contains:
text, short videos, and quiz questions
search logbook
You can use this logbook to keep a record of how you conducted searches. It will show you what you have done and what you haven't done yet. This way you will avoid doing the same thing twice and therefore save time. You can save your completed logbook at the end of the course and print it. You fill in the following:
search questions
search terms
search method
sources used
search results
a final exam of 20 questions.
To pass, you must answer at least 60% correctly. How the Searchlight course is used and what value is attached to a successful completion of the course depends on your degree programme.
The estimated time needed for the course is one hour. You may stop part-way through and continue where you left off at a later time.
The most important search principles
During this course, you will learn how to look for information step by step - the search process. The following search principles will help you make a success of this process!
1 - Exploring your subject
Sample question
You would like to find the answer to the following question:
“How can you improve the spread of tourists in Amsterdam?”
To answer this question, you need to search for information.
Exploration
In the video below, you will see how to start your search and how you decide whether it would first be useful to explore a subject.
You saw in the video that you always start by clarifying your assignment. Then, you determine how complex your question is.
Simple question:
can be answered completely by starting to search straight away
it is not necessary to answer other questions first
exploring the subject is (usually) not necessary
Complex question:
cannot be (completely) answered by starting to search straight away
it is necessary to answer a few other questions first
exploring the subject is necessary.
Resources for exploration
Summary
In this module you have learned:
that it is important to first clarify your assignment
that, in case of a complex question, it is important to first explore your subject
Search Logbook
You can use the search logbook to keep a record of how you have conducted searches during your own project. This is useful and saves time, although it is not a compulsory part of the course, unless your degree programme has stated otherwise. Note down what you have done after every module;
Now note down your hypothesis, your research question and sub-questions in yourlogbook.
2 - Think up search terms
Sample question
You are researching the use of educational games in Amsterdam primary schools. One of the questions you would like to answer is:
What educational games are there for primary schools at present?
You would like to find as much usable information as possible.
Thinking up search terms
Search terms are the words you use to carry out a search. If you are carrying out a targeted search for information, then you should think very carefully about the search terms you use. Why is this so important and how do you approach this?
It is often difficult to think up search terms off the top of your head. You should therefore use helpful tools. What helpful tools would you use in order to think up search terms?
Examples of helpful tools
Maybe you have already thought of some helpful tools you could use. Possible examples include:
Van Dale dictionaries
Specialist dictionaries, such as:
Technical dictionary
Medical dictionary
Financial-economic dictionary
Wikipedia
Google
If you have already found a relevant article, it may be useful to see if it contains usable search terms.
Summary
You have learned to:
use different search terms
retrieve important elements from your question that you can use to carry out a search
think up different search terms for each element
find search terms in different ways
Search Logbook
Now note down the search terms you have thought up in your logbook.
3 - Select information sources
Sample question
In Amsterdam, many events are organised on King’s Day every year. Security is an important aspect of this. In order to guarantee security, organisers need all kinds of information, and you are going to collect it.
Databases: video
Sources and information resources
The terms sources and information resources are sometimes used interchangeably. In this course, an information resource is the place where you find information. This could be a person, but also a search engine like Google, for example. A source is an interview, for example, or a book, or an article.
In the next video, you will see what other information resources exist besides Google.
Databases can vary considerably, so which one should you choose?
First, look carefully at your question: what type of information do you need? Knowing this makes choosing the right database a lot easier.
Types of information
It is important that the information resource you choose is relevant to the question in terms of content and form.
Statistical information is an example of factual information which you can find in a database such as Euromonitor. In other resources, you will find background information, legal information or research information, for example.
The form in which the information is provided often tells you something about the content. It is important to ask yourself what it is you need exactly. If you are looking for background information, then a book would be more useful than a journal article. If you are looking for the most up-to-date information, then a newspaper would be more useful than a book. Information can be found both online and on paper. Additionally, video and audio may also be suitable.
Full Text
You can read the full version of many articles in major journal databases such as Business Source Premier, the ProQuest databases, or Science Direct. But, sometimes you can only view the summary. Do you wish to read the article in its entirety? Use the bibliographical information relating to the article - the title, the name of the author, the title of the journal, etc. - to check if a full text version is available in one of the other journal databases.
Search tips for each type of information
News items, for example articles from Dutch and international newspapers and newsmagazines can be found in database Nexis Uni.
(Text) books: there are a number of databases offering eBooks: Books24x7, eBook Collection by Ebsco and Safari Books Online. Printed books can be found by using “Search the AUAS library” on www.amsterdamuas.com/library.
Statistical information can be found in databases such as CBS Statline, Eurostat, Euromonitor or a website such as www.ois.amsterdam.nl.
Law texts can be found for example on sites like http://www.dutchcivillaw.com/civilcodebook01.htm
For encyclopedic information, look at www.encyclopedia.com or www.wikipedia.org.
Trade information can be found on dedicated websites by trade associations.
Research reports: some of these can be found for free on websites by organizations such as The Netherlands Institute for Social Research, SCP (www.scp.nl) and the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis, CPB (www.cpb.nl). Both are government-related (but independent) organizations.
Summary
You have learned:
how to match different types of information to different types of questions
what databases are
what information found in the library databases adds to Google
to choose a database that matches your question
Search Logbook
Now note down the information resources you are going to use in your logbook.
4 - Search information
Sample question
The city of Amsterdam aims for sustainability. You are going to work out how waste processing in the city can be made more sustainable. You have thought up some search terms and know which information resources you are going to use.
Combining search terms
When search terms were discussed, you learned how important it is to think carefully about synonyms and translations. How can you use these to find as many usable results as possible?
You have now seen how you can usefully combine search terms in order to get the most relevant results. Many databases make it possible for you to make your search even more specific. You can see this in the following video.
Did you find a useful article? If so, have a look at which other publications are mentioned in the article’s bibliography. This could lead you to more relevant publications. These will always be older publications than the article you already found.
Summary
You have learned to:
combine your search terms using AND and OR
use search fields
refine your search results using search filters
use your search results to search further with the help of bibliographies
evaluate your search method and to adapt it if necessary
Search Logbook
Now note down in your logbookwhat you have found and how.
5 - Make your selection
Sample question
You are researching how you could use sport to reduce obesity among schoolchildren in Amsterdam. On YouTube, you find a video that covers precisely this subject.
Relevance and reliability
You have found all kinds of interesting articles, books, or websites. How do you now decide whether you can use them for your project? You consider two things:
Everyone can quite easily spread information via websites. On the internet, you can find not just reliable information, but also a great deal of unreliable information.
You should therefore pay extra attention when evaluating the reliability of a website. Of course, it is also important to see whether a website is relevant for your purposes or not.
When evaluating websites, there are various criteria you should apply, in combination. First, you can test yourself, and then you will see what these criteria are.
Criteria for evaluating websites
More criteria are needed for the purpose of evaluating websites and other documents. Do not make your evaluations on the basis of just one criterion, such as appearance, but instead apply them as a whole. The criteria are explained immediately below the image. You can also use a printable checklist.
Relevance
Reliability
Summary
You have learned to:
evaluate information in terms of its relevance and reliability
check whether the content, the level, and the topicality of information is closely relevant to your question
look at the background of the author, at how objective the author is, and at whether the content is correct.
evaluate the quality of websites
Search Logbook
Now note down in your logbookwhat results are usable.
6 - Process your results
Sample question
Your tutor has failed your report because you allegedly committed plagiarism, something you were not aware of.
Copyright
You may use all the information you find, such as in articles, books, or websites, in your report. However, you may not do so just as you please. If you use someone else’s publications in your report, you have to take copyright into account.
According to copyright, it is the author who determines when and where his work is published. If you do not use a person’s texts or images in your report correctly, you are in breach of his or her copyright.
Acknowledgement of sources
In the following video, you will learn how to incorporate other people’s information correctly into your report. The examples in the video feature the widely-used APA citation style.
The APA citation style is commonly used at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. Would you like to learn how to cite sources in the APA citation style? Go to the APA module.
Summary
You have learned:
what copyright is
what plagiarism is and how to avoid it
how to quote or paraphrase information from other people
that you must cite your sources in your text as well as in an alphabetical bibliography
that the APA citation style is commonly used at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences
Search Logbook
Now note down your own information in your logbook.
Dit lesmateriaal is gepubliceerd onder de Creative Commons Naamsvermelding-GelijkDelen 4.0 Internationale licentie. Dit houdt in dat je onder de voorwaarde van naamsvermelding en publicatie onder dezelfde licentie vrij bent om:
het werk te delen - te kopiëren, te verspreiden en door te geven via elk medium of bestandsformaat
het werk te bewerken - te remixen, te veranderen en afgeleide werken te maken
voor alle doeleinden, inclusief commerciële doeleinden.
We work to enhance our courses continually. Do you have suggestions on Searchlight Basic?
Contact the Library's informatiespecialist of your field or send a mail to Harrie van der Meer, coördinator Information Literacy/Educational materials, e-mail: h.a.l.van.der.meer@hva.nl
Literature
Association of College and Research Libraries. (2015). Framework for information literacy for higher education. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/acrl/ standards/ilframework
Gruwel, S., & Wopereis, I. (2014). Word informatievaardig : Digitale informatie selecteren, beoordelen en verwerken. Groningen etc.: Noordhoff.
LOOWI werkgroep Normering Informatievaardigheden (n.d.). Informatievaardigheid: normen voor het hoger onderwijs. n.p.: LOOWI
Poelmans, P., & Severijnen, O. (2013). De APA-richtlijnen: Over literatuurverwijzing en onderzoeksrapportage. Bussum: Coutinho.
Sieverts, E. (2011). De informatie vinden die je zoekt. Retrieved jan 16, 2012 from http://www.library.uu.nl/medew/it/eric/zoeken-en-vinden-2011.pdf
Veen, M. J. P., & Westerkamp, K. (2010). Deskresearch. Amsterdam: Pearson Education.
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Webcursus informatievaardigheden : Algemeen - niveau A. Retrieved jan 16, 2017, from http://libguides.vu.nl/a-algemeen
Images
McGill, Kevin. (2013). I Amsterdam [photograph]. Retrieved from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:I_amsterdam_(9259130734).jpg
Max Pixel. (n.d.). [Happy children play a videogame] [photograph]. Retrieved from: http://maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com/Win-Success-Happy-Children-Play-Video-Game-593313
Paula Abrahao (2014). Party like a Dutch: Koningsdag [photograph]. Retrieved from: http://paulaabrahao.com.br/blog/2014/koningsdag/
lijjccoo. (2007). Vuilnis in Amsterdam [photograph]. Retrieved from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vuilnis_amsterdam.JPG
Siegmund, Walter (2007) Variation in body fat [photograph]. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Variation_in_body_fat_12577.JPG
[I amsterdam met copyright teken] (n.d.)
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