A search strategy
is an organized plan for gathering information. It is a process which begins by defining the information needed. This need is usually prompted by an assignment, a question, problem, or interest. Search strategies will vary in complexity based upon the information needed.
Consider these questions:
1) "When was former President Clinton born?"
2) "How has the nature of presidential elections been affected by the creation of televised debates?"
Question One is looking for a simple fact which an encyclopedia or almanac can readily answer.
Question Two, however, requires a strategy for finding information from a variety of sources.
Developing a search strategy for an assignment requires a variety of decisions including some, or all, of the following:
• choosing a topic
• focusing your topic
• formulating research questions/thesis statements
•
identifying the main concepts
• identifying information needs
• identifying information types
• identifying information formats
The key to developing a good search strategy is flexibility; and revising the strategy as information is found and evaluated by critical thinking skills.
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