Campsu_Develop Your Search Strategy.jpg
Campsu_Develop Your Search Strategy.jpg

What you'll learn


Develop Your Search Strategy

SCROLL DOWN

What you'll learn


Develop Your Search Strategy

This course will provide a clear understanding of the most popular online search strategies. It will help learners to decide which is the best fit for them, as well as giving lots of practical examples for carrying out a search using the most common approaches and tools.

This course will help learners to:

  • Recognize the benefits of an online search strategy 

  • Understand the most popular types of searches, and the benefits/limitations of each (including Boolean)

  • Apply search strategies in response to specific assignments/ research questions

  • Search online repositories including Google Scholar

  • Recognize when search results are relevant and useful

  • Keep effective records of search results

Language: English

Time to complete: 2.5 hours

Level: Beginner

Instructor: Dr Eric Addae-Kyeremeh

How to access: Sage Campus is a digital library product. If you are a librarian, find out how to get Sage Campus for your university. If you are faculty, a researcher, or a student, recommend Sage Campus to your library.

Course modules


Course modules


 There are 4 modules in this course:

 

1. What Is a Search Strategy?

Searching for material for your studies or assignment can be daunting because there is so much information out there. The sheer volume means that finding the most relevant information can be time-consuming if not carefully planned. To help make things easier, it’s important that you devise a search strategy to filter your sources before you start your essay or assignment. This module is a good place to begin and will give you some ideas on how to kick start your online search.

2. Boolean Logic Searches

This module focuses on using Boolean operators when searching for information and material in databases accessible through your institution’s library.

3. Searching Online Repositories

This module introduces online repositories, and how they can aid a search strategy. It takes you through strategies you can use when searching some of the most common online repositories, such as Google Scholar.

4. Managing and Analyzing Search Results

This module introduces you to some simple steps that can help you assess the usefulness of your search results. It goes further to provide some guidance on how to organize your search records and keep up to date with new articles and literature.

Who it's for


Who it's for


Who it’s for

This is aimed to undergraduates from a broad range of subjects, as well as graduate students who need a refresher. We expect Faculty to assign/recommend the course for a wide variety of modules.

Other courses


Other courses


Browse our other research skills courses

Click the arrows to browse our data science skills courses
Research Question
Research Question

Equips researchers with the skills and knowledge they need to form and articulate a clear and concise research question that’s relevant, interesting and fundamentally researchable.

4 hrs to complete

Research Proposal
Research Proposal

Gives an understanding of the elements and purpose a research proposal, strategies to avoid pitfalls when preparing your proposal and provides a step by step plan to craft a winning proposal.

5 hrs to complete

Plan Your Project
Plan Your Project

This course guides learners through the planning and development of an academic project. It supports the early preparation of the project and gives direction and advice during every stage to finalise the academic project.

5 hrs to complete

Do Your Interviews
Do Your Interviews

Practical, hands-on course that guides you through planning and developing research interviews, from selecting a suitable interview approach to preparing participants.

5 hrs to complete

Research Design in Social Data Science
Research Design in Social Data Science

Gain an understanding of the emerging field of social data science as a big data-driven approach to social science research.

6 hrs to complete

Conduct a Literature Review
Conduct a Literature Review

Guides you through the entire process of preparing a literature review, from selecting and analyzing existing literature to structuring and writing your review.

5 hrs to complete

Gather Your Data Online
Gather Your Data Online

Gives an overview of types of data and ways to find and generate them online to use for research.

4 hrs to complete

Present Your Research
Present Your Research

Equips learners with the confidence, skills and communication strategies to present their research in an impactful and meaningful way.

4 hrs to complete

Introduction to Data Management
Introduction to Data Management

Equips learners with an understanding of the different types of data management, providing tools and knowledge to manage data effectively and ethically, covering the strategies for organizing research data.

4 hrs to complete

Analyze Qualitative Data
Analyze Qualitative Data

Develops skills to understand and evaluate qualitative data, with the appropriate approach to coding and techniques to categorize and pull themes from data at every stage of analysis.

5 hrs to complete

Settings


Settings


Featured
Dr Eric Addae-Kyeremeh
Dr Eric Addae-Kyeremeh

Dr Eric Addae-Kyeremeh is the Head of School in the School of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport at Open University. Eric has over 20 years of professional experience that involves teaching, research, scholarship of teaching and learning, knowledge exchange, consultancy and public engagement. He was admitted into Fellowship by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT in 2012 for demonstrating leadership, eminence and authority in the area of educational technologies. In recognition of his expertise, significant impact and contribution to leadership and management in education and training, he was awarded Chartered Fellowship by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) in the same year.

Prior to joining the Open University in 2011, Eric worked in the Further Education (FE) sector in England from 2000-2010, firstly as a lecturer in Computing and ICT and then in a range of leadership and management positions. During his career in FE, he led and managed a number of subject areas, including Science and Mathematics; Information and Communication Technology; and Business, Administration and Law.

[ {"navLabel":"What you'll learn", "navSection": 1 }, {"navLabel":"Register interest", "navSection": 2 }, {"navLabel":"Who it's for", "navSection": 2 }, {"navLabel":"Other courses", "navSection": 4 } ]