Just Google It? Effective Research Requires a Strategy

Information is Everywhere: Or, Verbing Our Way Through Life “I just googled it and found what you were looking for.” “Wiki it first, then come ask me if you have questions.” “YouTube that clip for me, okay?”

Making Sense of It All Strategy is Essential A thoughtful strategy is an essential component of a successful search for information Why? Because without a strategy, we are left floundering in the sea of information.

Finding Information: The Status Quo The usual scenario begins with a research topic Examples? Your first mode of attack? GOOGLE!

Googling Pros Various databases (images, video, etc.) Lots of possibilities Much of the work is (seemingly) done for you! Cons The “wild goose chase” problem Difficult to sort through results quickly Difficult to discern the reliability of the source

Wikipedia Pros Familiar, encyclopedia- like format Links to other sources of information available Cons Very few (if any) criteria for contributing entries Information often seems complete, thus most users are unlikely to feel further searching is necessary

Well, Maybe…

YouTube Pros Variety of information available Provides access to information that might be considered less mainstream, because of its accessibility Cons NO criteria for uploading video, so credibility needs to be considered Because of its “multinationality,” boundaries (social, cultural, racial, etc.) are often neglected or ignored

Effective Research = Making Choices The first big thing to realize when using these various web tools is: all information is NOT created equal! You must choose the best sources!

Who Can Create Information? friendsentertainersjournalistspractitionersstudents minority voices professors eye witnesses friendsrepublicans expertsdemocratsactivists majority voices anyone!

Using Google Effectively Watch a movie: “Understanding Google Search Results”

Searching Google – Our Turn Can you think of an example search topic?

Smart Research Strategies – A Useful Guide *tutorial location:

Smart Research Strategies – How It Helps Breaks task into 3 steps Lists a variety of “finding aids” Lays out many options, so that you can design your search to fit your own needs

Getting All We Can From Our Search Remember: Using a variety of search tools leads to better results! Using the right tool for the task can get you to your goal more quickly!

Summing Up Smart Research Strategies highlights many different tools available to us. Google (and Wikipedia, and YouTube) are good, but they are not enough!

Questions?