Objective 1.1 - Plan an Information Search

To have a good start, students must first specify the objective of the work to be carried out in order to help them better understand it. They will also itemize the characteristics of the work that will influence their approach and choices.

They will then define their search topic by exploring its theme and by answering common questions which will help them specify the need for information.

Then, they must identify interesting documents that will feed the work.

Finally, students must know and select the search and monitoring tools available to them.

The following assignments can be used to assess the attainment of the objective:

• Personal description of the characteristics of the work to carry out;
• Terms for the issue or question of the research topic;
• List of the most relevant types of documents on selected topic;
• Selection of the appropriate tools for searching on the library’s website, or elsewhere.

In order to plan their search for information, students will have access to the following categories of tools: timelines or work plans, documents related to the course and to the work to carry out, library catalogues, websites, databases, etc.

As the search process is quite linear, it is recommended that this step be carried out prior to the following ones.

Instructions are the starting point for any search for information and the work to be accomplished. They need to be detailed and clear.

Students first must make sure that they understand the objective, requirements and content expected as the result of the work carried out. Which skill is targeted? What is the targeted audience? Is there a required methodology? Is this part of an ongoing project or is there a deadline? It is important to note that the time allocated for carrying out a search and the criteria for evaluating the work are important elements that need to be taken into consideration when planning the search.

The nature of the work or task to be carried out must be specified here. Should you answer a question, draft an assignment, resolve a problem or take decisions? Students go farther into matters related to content: standards to be respected, number of quotations, sources’ level of expertise, types of sources, the need to support their statements with principles, laws or statistics, etc.

Students validate with their teacher or their peers the form of the assignment (type of presentation, requested final product, etc.).

The different characteristics directed at the objective, content and nature of the work to be done must be identified and documented.

In some cases, examples of work done by alumni, or using a templates will allow them to quickly clarify the expectations and make completing the work easier.

A brief meeting, either individual or by team, allows students to validate and demonstrate their understanding. Presenting a timeline that is complete and precise will help students start on a solid basis.

A template for a work plan that includes the elements to assign and support is useful in supporting students. Students may refer to the following documents to better guide and facilitate the execution of their work:

• Course outline;
• Homework outline;
• Assignment instructions;
• Examples;
• Evaluation criterion;
• Timeline or work plan template
• Available templates/models
• Methodological guide

The requirements or instructions can help to choose/clarify the search subject and its aspects as well as the type of documentation to gather.

This task has an important impact on the following tasks and objectives.

Often the shape of the final assignment is defined by the teacher. As students progress, they can verify with their teacher or peers if it is possible to choose an appropriate project.

This task can be performed by:

• visiting the library in your college and its website;
• asking questions to the college staff (librarian or teaching and pedagogical technician (SMTE – Spécialiste en moyens techniques d’enseignement), API, teachers, lab technicians, etc.);
• reading the course outline or publications produced by the college;
• finding and consulting resource-persons whose work is dedicated to help with information searches;
• staying informed about training sessions or workshops offered by the library;
• participating actively in workshops on documentary research and by applying what is learned.

This task requires that students inform themselves on available resources and services in their environment that can help them in their searches.

Students can create a list of consulted resources, note their characteristics and explain how to access and use them.

Students will take ownership of the following basic search and monitoring tools:

• Library catalogue and website of the college and of the BAnQ (Bibliothèque et archives nationales du Québec);

Databases available within the college or externally. Students will consult the following documents or elements:

• Institutional or discipline guide(s);
• Mediagraphy or list of suggested resources (in the course plan, in the learning platform or on the teacher’s website);
• Lists of resource-persons.

It is essential that students be guided towards library resources from their start at CEGEP. They must become regular users, not only occasional users.

Virtual rallies or guided visits are ways that can be used to introduce services offered to students in their CEGEP.

Furthermore, workshops offered by library staff aim to provide students with a basic knowledge of the different resources available to help them carry out a search for information. If such workshops are not offered by library staff, it must be ensured that teachers can offer some basics necessary for their students who have a search assignment to complete.

Students familiarize themselves with their topic by exploring general sources of information. They identify general and specific keywords, synonyms and associated terms. They answer routine questions such as: Who? What? When? Where? How? Why?

In order to choose a research topic, it is important to determine the extent and limits (such as the time and geographic scale) and to take into account the allotted time, the pertinence of the topic and of the documentation available. It is also important at this stage that students validate the extent and pertinence of their topic with their teachers so that it is not too large nor too precise.

The end result of this task is reflected by the formulation of a research question or statement. This statement must, of course, meet the requirements of the assignment, but it must also allow for an information search that is both precise and realistic.

In early courses, the topic is determined by the teacher. But as students progress in their program, they must be able to choose their topic and to determine it with precision.

To carry out this task, students can use:

• Working aids (e.g. to clarify a topic and formulate a research question or work sheet);
• Templates provided by teachers.

The expressions used to outline the research topic can vary from one discipline to another: specifying an analytical perspective, formulation of the question, draft the research equation, etc.

Exploring the topic allows students to learn about its different aspects and to avoid choosing a topic that is too broad or too narrow. For example, choosing in vitro fertilization as a theme can bring one to many possible topics (biological, ethical or sociological perspectives).

Students itemize the types of sources available to be documented to provide the expected content and to attain the objectives for the assignment. In some contexts, it is in the teacher’s interest to require students to use different types of sources.

Students must recognize the specific qualities of each type of document/source. They provide a list of the most pertinent types of documents related to the objective of the assignment. They make sure, according to instructions and context, to vary the types of sources used.

Here are some types of documents often used in search of information:

• Books and manuals;
• Articles from journals:
  • scientific,
  • professional,
  • general interest;
• Reference tools such as: general or specialized encyclopedia and dictionaries, directories, etc.;
• Newspaper articles;
• Websites and blogs;
• Audiovisual documents (such as films and videos);
• Images;
• Statistics;
• Standards;
• Laws and regulations;
• Activity reports.

In a digital world, it is not always obvious to distinguish at a glance the types of documents: books, scientific journals, encyclopedias, manuals, journals, standards, blogs, etc. It is nevertheless essential to do so because even Google cannot find everything, and the selection of tools for searching is done according to which type of information and what document to find. Note that sources of information and search tools work hand in hand. These concepts are often learned and applied jointly.

The relevance of different types of document can vary from one assignment to another; it also varies from one discipline to another. For example, in arts, images and audiovisual documents are frequently used. Scientific journals and specialized dictionaries are, for their part, very useful in the domain of health.

Students must distinguish and choose search tools that will allow them to find pertinent documents according to the objective of the assignment and to the content required.

Students are able to describe the characteristics of the tools. They know what each tool can find. They can provide a summary with comments of the tools consulted.

Here are search or monitoring tools used in colleges:

• Databases provided by college websites or by the BAnQ (Bibliothèque et archives nationales du Québec), such as Eureka.cc and Repère;
• Library catalogues, such as Koha and Regard;
• General search engines such as Google, Yahoo or Bing, or more specialized ones such as Google Scholar;
• Dynamic content aggregators: RSS threads (e.g. Feedly and Netvibes), blogs and microblogs;
• Social media (e.g. Twitter);
• Directories or on-line year books (e.g. business directories).

Achieving this task raises a great deal of interest in students. They discover new tools and realize that Google is not the only search engine available to them and that, in fact, it cannot find everything they need to carry out their assignments.

Selecting tools can be done based on specific criteria, including: the type of document to find, the assignment to be completed, the intellectual level of the search or domain of studies. It often happens that more than one tool must be used in order to obtain all of the information necessary to complete the work.

Because search engines are closely linked to different types of documents/sources, the tools used will vary from one discipline to the other. It is therefore important to know and use the tools specific to one’s discipline.