Comments on: There’s More To “Finding” Than We Thought

By: Cybrarian

Cybrarian — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:46:22 +0000

Oh this is SOOO right. Students don’t really know how to search past their initial impulses, AND they don’t really know how to interpret all that they see in the results – even when “successful”.
Good points.

By: Marc Meola

Marc Meola — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 20:28:00 +0000

“I sometimes think we need to help students figure out how to read a list of results more than how to construct a search.”

Yeah. When I go over results lists with students I often get the feeling that we are looking at two different lists. Sometimes I want to say, can’t you see it? It’s right there!?” It’s like how you can look at your own x-rays but don’t know what they mean until the doctor explains them to you.

By: Barbara

Barbara — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:51:01 +0000

One thing Nielsen points out is that his subjects also had trouble reading; for the purposes of his research, the answer then is to write better for the web. That may work for actual web content, but obviously, some of the material you’re looking for using search engines and databases will be complex and can’t be turned into easily read bullet points.

Reading and creating meaning bit-by-bit is part of searching and finding – not something you can wait to do after you’ve found sources!

I sometimes think we need to help students figure out how to read a list of results more than how to construct a search.