Smarter Searching

Glider Airplane Research ChallengeJanuary 30, 2014

What will we do to enhance

… the design of a basic glider?

Today’s Plan

• Agenda: – Sign up for research

topics– Mini lesson on search

strategies and library resources

– Search for information about your topic and begin to analyze it

– Cite everything you plan to use, as you find it

• Goals: – Investigate your topic

and its application for the glider

– Try keyword and advanced Google search strategies

– Practice responsible research

Sign Up for Topics

Library Resources

Source: Photo by erjkprunczyk, available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license.

Source: Photo by albill, available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license.

Seek out synonyms.

Source: Microsoft Image Search.

Visualize the results you want.

Search for the answer …

… not the question.

Be willing to experiment.

Source: Microsoft Image Search.

Scrutinize your results.Source: Microsoft Image Search.

And follow the source.Source: Microsoft Image Search.

Keyword Searching on the Web

• Test lots of synonyms• Visualize your results– What key words or phrases does it contain? – Who wrote it? – Where was it published? – Search for the answer, not the question

• Follow the trail from one source to another

Authority?

Source: Photo by lord enfield, available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license.

Citations?

Source: Photo by lord enfield, available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license.

Let’s try it together.

Advanced Google Searching

• Exact phrases– “paper airplane”

• Site or domain– site:edu– site:gov

• Boolean operators – paper OR foam

• File type– filetype:pdf

• None of these words – -paperclip

Get to Work

1. Create and share a Google Doc (or the shared workspace that works for you) and exchange preferred contact information with your partner

2. Search the catalog, databases, and open web for information, documenting all sources

3. Think critically about the information you will present to the group: – What words will they need defined? – What does this mean for your airplane design? For

troubleshooting?