Finding information

There are so many sources you might be using for your research, including:

Reading from a book, journal article or newspaper
Reading from a webpage
Conducting an interview
Listening to a podcast
Watching a video

Speak to your teacher about the best sources for your research. You could also speak to a Learning Centre Assistant, to make sure that you understand how to access the full range of books, journals and and other sources of information available to you.

Google search techniques.pdf

Google Search Tips

Often, when we are researching a topic we will at some point use the internet. To do this, we usually begin with a search engine.

Use the document on the left, for ideas on how to search effectively using Google.

Finding Information in a Text

You can follow these three steps to find the information you are looking for in a text:

1. Skim read – This is running your eyes over the text first to check what basic information is included and what the overall idea of the text is. This can give you an impression of how useful the text will be for you.

2. Scan read – Look for particular information that is useful to you in answering your question or completing your assignment. Look at titles and subtitles, diagrams and pictures. Find the bits that are most relevant and helpful to you.

3. Intensive reading – You can read the sections of text that are most relevant to you very carefully. You can look up words that you don’t understand to give you the most detailed knowledge of the topic. At this stage, you will want to record the information you find.

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