Planning your search is key to getting the most out of your search results. Click on the SEIRA Search Owl below to find more infomartion about how to plan your search. 

The printable page below outlines the key steps for planning your search as discussed in the 'Plan your search' video.

Identify keywords

Typing your question into Google or the Library Collection is not the best way to search.

Mapping out your search can be a good place to start:

• Identify the keywords (also known as key concepts) in the assignment question - these are the words which give meaning to the question, the main ideas
• Remove task words (also known as instruction words) from your assignment question - these are the words telling you what to do with the key concepts (e.g. analyse, compare, discuss)

Consider alternative keywords

Now you've identified the keywords in your assignment question, try doing the following to help you understand your keywords and find similar or alternative keywords:

Use the course readings, an encyclopedia, dictionary or reliable websites to understand your topic

Use a thesaurus to help you find similar or alternative keywords

Do some basic initial searching using the keywords you've already identified to see what other words are used in the papers you find. Create a mindmap or table to help you brainstorm alternative keywords

Connect your keywords

Once you have identified your keywords and found alternative keywords, you need to connect these to put your search together.

Use the following operator words, which most search tools will have, to indicate how you want the tool to search for your keywords:

• OR: Combines similar keywords
• AND: Combines different keywords
• NOT: Excludes words from the search (use cautiously and only when necessary or you might exclude results you actually want)

Remember to use "quotation marks" to keep phrases together and (brackets) to keep synonyms together.

Knowing where to search is just as important as knowing how to search.  The following video will help you to understand why and when to use different search tools.

 Video Length: 2:14

Now that you have some resources, how do you know if they are good quality, or scholarly? Click on the SEIRA Evaluate Owl below to find out more about finding scholarly sources and evaluating your findings effectively.

Evaluate your resources

While you are finding references, you need to think about whether they are appropriate to use in your assignment.  You should evaluate all resources  before including them in your assignment - even if you found them through the Library Catalogue or Databases. Watch the following video on Evaluating Information to learn some useful tips on how to evaluate your resources.

 Video Length: 3:16

Now that you are developing an understanding of what are appropriate sources to use in your writing, next is how to integrate the arguments and ideas into your own writing. Click on the SEIRA Integrate Owl below to learn more.

Now that you have the information needed for your assignment, it is time to review your referencing technique. Click on the SEIRA Referencing Owl above to find out more about how to reference successfully. 

All Construction Managers are required to attribute authorship of designs, plans, site maps, and documentation throughout their career. Click on the SEIRA Act Ethically Owl below to find out more.