Abstract

Using the ERIC/ONTAP file, student searchers may improve their online skills by employing an 8-step search strategy technique. ERIC/ONTAP, now available through LRS/DIALOG, uses a subset of the ERIC file with built-in answer sets and a special evaluation command. The training procedure guides the student from the initial search interview to the search evaluation through these steps: defining the information need and search objective, identifying relevant databases, identifying the retrieval system, formulating basic search logic, compiling the search terms, conceptualizing the search as input to the retrieval system, evaluating preliminary results, and evaluating final results. Steps one through five, relating to the search interview and the search formulation, do not require the computer and may be practiced off-line. Three modes of searching--high recall, briefsearch, and high precision--are employed to present alternative search strategies for the online search. The results are evaluated by comparing citations retrieved to a "perfect answer set" and using the evaluation command to display recall and precision percentages. (RAA)

Citation

Markey, K. The Anatomy of a Search. Retrieved December 11, 2019 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/133666/.

This record was imported from ERIC on March 21, 2014. [Original Record]

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Keywords

• databases
• Educational Media
• information retrieval
• instructional materials
• Interviews
• Library Services
• ONLINE SYSTEMS
• Reference Services
• Search Strategies
• Training Methods