Online Searching prepares students in library and information science programs to assist information seekers at all levels, from university faculty to elementary school students. Included in the third edition are interviews with librarians and other information professionals whose words of wisdom broaden graduate students' perspectives regarding online searching in a variety of work settings serving different kinds of information seekers. The book's chapters are organized according to the steps in the search process: 1. Conducting a reference interview to determine what the seeker wants 2. Identifying sources that are likely to produce relevant information for the seeker's query 3. Determining whether the user seeks a known item or information about a subject 4. Dividing the query into main ideas and combining them logically 5. Representing the query as input to the search system 6. Conducting the search and responding strategically 7. Displaying retrievals, assessing them, and responding tactically A new chapter on web search engines builds on students' existing experience with keyword searching and relevance ranking by introducing them to more sophisticated techniques to use in the search box and on the results page. A completely revised chapter on assessing research impact discusses the widespread use of author and article iMetrics, a trend that has developed rapidly since the publication of the second edition. More than 100 figures and tables provide readers with visualizations of concepts and examples of real searches and actual results. Textboxes offer additional topical details and professional insights. New videos supplement the text by delving more deeply into topics such as database types, information organization, specialized search techniques, results filtering, and the role of browsing in the information seeking process. An updated glossary makes it easy to find definitions of terms used throughout the book. With new and updated material, this edition of Online Searching gives students knowledge and skills for success when intermediating between information seekers and the sources they need.

Online Searching prepares students in library and information science programs to assist information seekers at all levels, from university faculty to elementary school students. Included in the third edition are interviews with librarians and other information professionals whose words of wisdom broaden graduate students' perspectives regarding online searching in a variety of work settings serving different kinds of information seekers. The book's chapters are organized according to the steps in the search process: 1. Conducting a reference interview to determine what the seeker wants 2. Identifying sources that are likely to produce relevant information for the seeker's query 3. Determining whether the user seeks a known item or information about a subject 4. Dividing the query into main ideas and combining them logically 5. Representing the query as input to the search system 6. Conducting the search and responding strategically 7. Displaying retrievals, assessing them, and responding tactically A new chapter on web search engines builds on students' existing experience with keyword searching and relevance ranking by introducing them to more sophisticated techniques to use in the search box and on the results page. A completely revised chapter on assessing research impact discusses the widespread use of author and article iMetrics, a trend that has developed rapidly since the publication of the second edition. More than 100 figures and tables provide readers with visualizations of concepts and examples of real searches and actual results. Textboxes offer additional topical details and professional insights. New videos supplement the text by delving more deeply into topics such as database types, information organization, specialized search techniques, results filtering, and the role of browsing in the information seeking process. An updated glossary makes it easy to find definitions of terms used throughout the book. With new and updated material, this edition of Online Searching gives students knowledge and skills for success when intermediating between information seekers and the sources they need.

Find the Information You Need! is designed for the person who suspects that Google and Facebook aren't always giving them the best results for their specific information needs. Created for anyone who wants to understand how to select better information resources, deploy smarter search strategies, and evaluate results more effectively, Find the Information You Need! provides: oconcrete exercises demonstrating successful queries on a variety of topics; oclear explanations of search techniques and when to use them; odescriptions of the different types of information resources available including commercial databases, digital libraries, and open-access repositories; and ohelpful advice about evaluating and organizing search results. No existing book offers what Find the Information You Need! does: a plain-language text that teaches the layperson--the end-user--what information brokers, competitive intelligence professionals, and librarians know about finding authoritative information. A key advantage of this handbook is its arrangement. Students in an information discovery course can work through the book in a linear fashion from beginning to end. Others can dip into the text at any point that serves their needs. It someone is only interested in figuring out the best non-profit for their donations of money and time, they can use the chapter presenting exercises and explanations for exactly that kind of search. If they're intrigued by the exercises, they can use the chapters explaining the more technical side of information organization and access to learn more. Find the Information You Need! is organized into two main sections. Section I, Make It Work, helps the become a better searcher right away by supplying practical exercises to try. The six chapters in Section I focus on concrete steps to take for results and gives only as much explanation as needed to prevent confusion. The six chapters in Section II, How and Why It Works, provide technical details and explanations of search systems and retrieval methods. Three appendices present carefully selected web-based resources where readers can find information for a broad swath of subjects. Appendix I focuses on commercial databases accessible from state library websites, at no charge to residents of the respective states. Appendix II lists freely available encyclopedias including not only Wikipedia but many others that are more focused and more authoritative. Appendix III provides links to a variety of information resources including health-related data and guidance from U.S. government agencies, huge digital libraries from major educational institutions, and other troves of knowledge treasures. Find the Information You Need! can be used by high school and college students undertaking research assignments. But it treats such assignments as a quest for information that anyone in the real world of business, government, the sciences, journalism, and other fields might undertake. As a result, anyone wanting to go beyond the usual web search engine and the biases built into its algorithms can use the book to learn specific, sophisticated resources and techniques not only to search, but to also actually find useful, authoritative information.