From the Library blog: Three Ways to Practice your Research Skills

Welcome back to school! What a strange year we left behind. In uncertain times people are looking for information to help them understand the world we live in. The Internet and our devices have become even more important in our lives as they are our key to the outside world, not only searching for information and news but these days also replacing physical interaction with other people. The web is full of information and people who want you to listen to them and react to their opinion. It is certainly not the lack of information we are suffering from. 

For example, it is very easy to be content with the first free hits you find. Why bother with the locked article from the more known journal? There is a lot of trustable information that is free, right? True, but also consider why some of these articles might be free. What is the agenda? Are they published by a company or an organisation that would profit from you and others sharing their information?

It is certainly not easy these days. To help you develop your research skills I listed three very different pages with exercises and practical tips. Starting with what I consider to be the most basic. Good luck!

A Google A Day is a page with basic challenges within different subjects. The main focus is to learn how to find the best search terms for your specific topic.

Digital Media Literacy from CGFlearnfree.org helps you learn how to evaluate your sources. You get practical advice as well as examples to practice on.

SearchReSearch is a blog created by research specialist Dan Russell. He gives advice on how to search within specific subjects as well as creating challenges for you to practice your research skills. Last year he published 26 challenges, some of them very tricky.

I hope to see you all soon,

Ms. Grönwall