Search Strategy Skills Defining your information need

1. Search Strategy SkillsDefining your information need ITOCA / IDS

2. Session Objectives • By the end of this session you will: • Know how to develop a search strategy using two techniques: • Mapping the information landscape • Mind maps (radial) • Tree structure (cascading branches) • Search tables • Grouping clusters of related terms • Useful to create a search strategy

3. Introduction Activity • You have been asked to find information about: “the health implications of water pollution in Kenya”

4. Problem • You have done your search but you don’t seem to get the answers you want • What sort of problems might be present in your search? • Discuss (Pairs, Group), 5 mins

5. Potential Reasons for Problem • Suggest lack of planning • Insufficient understanding / grasp of information landscape • I get too many results (terms too broad?) • I get too little results (terms too narrow?) • The phrase I searched for doesn’t appear • Synonyms • e.g. Agricultural management, environmental degradation • Plural/singular forms • e.g. River, rivers • Spelling variations • e.g. UK versus US • e.g. Bourne, borne, born; diarrhea, diarrheoa • A word exists as variants of a root word • e.g. Environment, environmental, pollution, pollutants

6. The Information landscape • Before you begin your search, you must: 1. Understand & define your information need 2. Map the information landscape • Plot terms associated with the domain / sub-topics • Identify gaps in your knowledge 3. Use the information mind map to: • Define focus of attention / approach (i.e. theoretical framework) • Plot broad subject / subject terms • Link to narrow subject / subject terms 4. Create a list / table of search terms

7. 1. Understand & define the Information Need • By reframing the ‘research brief’ you could improve your understanding of the information need “the health implications of water pollution in Kenya” • What is the brief asking you to look for? Discuss (Pairs / Groups) • E.g. The impact on health due to water-pollution, in Kenya • Is this a broad or narrow topic? • What tools could you use to help you plot the scope of your information need? Discuss (Pairs / Group)

8. The Information landscape • Before you begin your search, you must: 1. Understand & define your information need 2. Map the information landscape • Plot terms associated with the domain / sub-topics • Identify gaps in your knowledge 3. Use the information mind map to: • Define focus of attention / approach (i.e. theoretical framework) • Plot broad subject / subject terms • Link to narrow subject / subject terms 4. Create a list / table of search terms

9. Mapping the landscape • To understand the breadth of your research you must: • Plot the information landscape • Subjects terms; concepts; ideas associated with research area • Identify what you know about the domain / sub-topics • Brainstorming; iterative; may lead to dead-ends • Awareness of ‘gaps’ in knowledge / information needs will define search strategy

10. Mind-maps & Tree Structures • Use a visualisation tool to map information landscape a. Mind Map b. Tree Structure

11. Mind-maps & Tree Structures • Mind map & Tree Structures are a diagram used to represent words & ideas • An image-centred diagram that helps to generate, visualize, structure and classify ideas • Linked and arranged radially around a central key word or idea (or as branches stemming from a central key word) • Represents semantic or other connections between portions of information. • It encourages a brainstorming approach • Helps you identify what you know & gaps in your knowledge

12. Mind Map example: Health implications of Water Pollution in Kenya Illness Pollution Health Diseases Water Bacteria Infections Kenya Rivers Cholera

13. Tree Structure example: Health implications of Water Pollution in Kenya

14. 2. Mapping the ‘information landscape’ • Plotting the ‘information landscape’ • Identify key terms / phrases associated with ‘problem’ • Broad words / phrases or terms • Narrow words / phrases or terms • Link to Synonyms (interchangeable words) • Alternative spellings • Plurals • Capitals

15. Define your information need • Which search terms will help you undertake your research • Commence with broad terms • Drill down from broad terms to identify related concepts or terms • Synonyms • Identify narrower / specific terms related to subject • Medical terms ? • Controlled Vocabulary ?

16. Practical exercise • In the group, let’s model how to create a mind-map to answer the problem • “health implications of water pollution in Kenya” • What broad topics will you cover? • What sub-topics will sit under these? • Create a mind-map or tree structure as a group

17. Controlled vocabulary • What is the definition of controlled vocabulary? • Orientation tools can be used to help us build up our vocabulary of associated terms / key words • Medical (use PubMed MeSH) • Use a Macro-thesaurus (e.g. OECD Macrothesaurus) • Note: Iterative process • Look for index terms in search results

18. Controlled Terms – Macro Thesaurus Source: http://bibliotecavirtual.clacso.org.ar/ar/oecd-macroth/

19. Activity (Pairs / Group): 15 mins • Using the work-sheet resource to complete the mind-map or tree structure for “the health implications of water pollution in Kenya” • Plot: • The broad Key words or key phrases • Refine by identifying: • Specific / narrow topics or terms • Synonyms • Alternative spellings • Plurals • Capitals • You have ten minutes to complete this part of activity

20. The Information landscape • Before you begin your search, you must: 1. Understand & define your information need 2. Map the information landscape • Plot terms associated with the domain / sub-topics • Identify gaps in your knowledge 3. Use the information mind map to: • Define focus of attention / approach (i.e. theoretical framework) • Plot broad subject / subject terms • Link to narrow subject / subject terms 4. Create a list / table of search terms

21. 3. Defining your focus of attention • In a ‘broad’ brief you will need to define the ‘area’ you will focus on • Analytical framework • Indicate in your groups • The topics or area you will focus on • Now use the mind-map or tree structure, to begin: • to cluster terms / phrases • to create a table of search terms

22. Concept clusters • Start to cluster ideas or words into specific areas / under topics • Look for other terms (either broader or narrower) that could be used to describe these areas / topics • These terms are your search terms • Use to formulate your search strategy

23. Mind Map example: Health implications of Water Pollution in Kenya Illness Pollution Health Diseases Water Bacteria Infections Kenya Rivers Cholera

24. Concept ‘clusters’ Water Water management Pollution Environmental degradation Health Health conditions

25. Search Tables (Concept tables) • Once you have clustered terms / phrases etc. transfer them to a search table • Search tables • Create a list of terms that you will use for searching • Links associated terms under an ‘umbrella’ concept • E.g. Globalisation • Climate Change

26. Search terms’ table

27. Search Terms’ table

28. Session Summary • Using the mind-mapping / tree structure technique, you have: • Developed a search strategy through: • Understanding / defining your information need • Developed and refined your understanding of the topic or information need • Understood the bigger picture & how to narrow down to a specific focus area • Used visualisation tools to map the information landscape • Begun to identify search terms

29. Thank you for participating!