SearchPath



Suffering from information overload? Need to do a research project but don’t know where to start? Not sure how to find a scholarly article? Does the library catalog confuse you? Want to search Google and get less than one million hits? It’s all about information literacy and SearchPath can help.

SearchPath will help you learn information literacy skills—how to select and narrow a topic and how to find and evaluate information sources. It is an online tutorial divided into six sections to help you with your research needs. Start from the beginning or select the specific section you are interested in:
  1. Choosing sources
  2. Creating a search strategy
  3. Using the library catalog
  4. Finding articles in research databases
  5. Using the web
  6. Citing sources
A quiz at the end of each section will reinforce the knowledge you gained. SearchPath will help you learn how to effectively and more accurately research within the OCC library resources and on the World Wide Web. Being a more effective researcher will save you time and help you get better grades. You will learn how to critically evaluate the information you find whether you are looking for research material for a class or information to make a more informed decision when voting. Once you have completed the SearchPath tutorial, your ability to research effectively will have improved.

As always, if you have any questions or need further assistance, please ask a librarian. We are here to help.

Allison McFadden-Keesling

September, 2008

Original SearchPath material © 2006-2008 by Oakland Community College. SearchPath is adapted from LINKS © Lansing Community College which is based on Searchpath © by the Board of Trustees of Western Michigan University. Searchpath incorporates material from TILT, a tutorial developed by the Digital Information Literacy Office for the University of Texas System Digital Library, © 1998-2002. This material may be reproduced, distributed, or incorporated only subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Searchpath Open Publication License.