El arte de saber buscar I: los conceptos básicos
In this seminar, we explain the fundamentals of searching for information quickly and effectively. You'll learn to identify key sources, define search terms, and apply essential search techniques. Designed for students who want to get started searching for information. This seminar is complemented by a second, more advanced session.
Content
Key points
Before searching, stop and think carefully about what you need so that you don't overlook anything, and you have the most comprehensive overview possible of the subject. It is important to be aware of the sources of information, conceptualize your search, practise and repeat the process until you obtain the results you want.
Sources of information can be classified in many ways. One of the best known is to distinguish between primary sources (original documents such as diaries or manuscripts, works of art, novels, etc.) and secondary sources (articles, encyclopaedias, criticism, etc.). They can also be classified as general, professional or academic, depending on who produces the content and who it is aimed at.
- How to define keywords [26:17]
Your keywords need to be precise. Use synonyms, don't forget abbreviations, and use various languages, especially English. Avoid abstract concepts, words that contain value judgements, and searches with too many words. Using search operators is also a good idea.
You can perform a general search about the topic you're interested in, and look at the data in the results when you think about your search. This lets you refine your keywords for better results.