Are You Information Savvy?: Searcher
Your digital footprint is formed by your online interactions.
Search for information about yourself and take an inventory of what exists about you online. You can assume others are doing the same (e.g. prospective employers, romantic partners, friends).
Set-up a Google Alert based on your name to help ensure you are alerted when new information is posted by you or about you.
Help protect your privacy while searching by using an incognito tab or a search engine that allows you to search the web privately.
Savvy Searcher: Can you strategically search for information?
Why does this matter?
Learning the skills to effectively search will enable you to find what you need for specific purposes in a timely manner.
Scenario:
You have been given an assignment to write an annotated bibliography for your History course. What tools and websites might you use to get to find relevant and appropriate sources?
Tools for Searching
| Name of Tool | Description | Use For Searchers |
|---|---|---|
| Google Scholar* |
Google's search engine for finding scholarly works Configure your Google Scholar settings to access UofS resources |
Use for searching the web for scholarly works across many academic disciplines. Also useful when searching for a specific citation/reference. |
|
Private web browsers that do not track users |
Use for searching the web privately | |
| USearch* | Single search engine searching the University Library for books, journal articles, and other scholarly works | Use for finding books, articles, and other sources using one search. Also useful when starting your research to see what is available on the topic and/or ideas for topic refinement |
*Tools officially supported at the University of Saskatchewan.
The library has many different tools you can use to find the information you are looking for. Unfortunately, there is no single search box that will connect you to everything the library has to offer, but this guide provides some tips to help you decide where to start and to understand what each of these tools do best.
Resources for Searching
Do you need help finding journal articles, course reserves, book reviews, and more? "Help me find ...." is here to help. Here you will find instructions on finding books, journal articles, theses and dissertations, course reserves, maps, newspapers, book reviews, microforms, government information, data and statistics, patents, conference proceedings, GIS, archives and special collections help.
If you need more help with knowing where and how to search, consult the library's many research guides. The University Library's Research Guides are great starting points for recommended resources for your next research project.
Let's be honest, searching can be a bit of a time-consuming process. This video, Searching is Strategic, helps you search more efficiently and productively:
Want to discover more?
Choosing and Using Sources: A Guide to Academic Research is an e-book that is chock-full of useful information. Consult these chapters to become a savvy searcher: