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Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven. Gathering, Evaluating, and Documenting Information. Asking Productive Questions. Personal experience? Previous reading? Information from friends and/or colleagues? Questions for a specialist? Keywords for a catalog or WWW search?. Asking Productive Questions. Remember . . .

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Chapter Seven

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  1. Chapter Seven Gathering, Evaluating, and Documenting Information

  2. Asking Productive Questions • Personal experience? • Previous reading? • Information from friends and/or colleagues? • Questions for a specialist? • Keywords for a catalog or WWW search?

  3. Asking Productive Questions Remember . . . • Think creatively. • Return to this phase. • Document as you go.

  4. Planning Your Research Phase • Ask productive questions. • Brainstorm a variety of sources, prepare for each. • Think broadly and narrowly about your topic. • Plan your use of sources and narrow as you go.

  5. Planning Your Research Phase • Look for answers. • Use what’s available— • Interviews, newsgroups, listservs • Encyclopedias, e-libraries, abstracts • Physical libraries, e-journals, databases • Have a plan (save time, effort). • Make notes (avoid repetition or cross-check sources). • Use initial answers to formulate more/better questions.

  6. Planning Your Research Phase • Evaluate your answers. • Decide on evaluation criteria early. • Do a quick preliminary evaluation to spot-check. • Skim away inappropriate sources quickly so you know what you have and what you need.

  7. Planning Your Research Phase • Cite your sources. • Use your audience to decide on formal or informal. • Be clear and credible. • Err on the side of caution. • Remember that you represent your company.

  8. Interview Etiquette • Complete background reading. • Check the encyclopedia, the Web, and current publications to ensure that you’re prepared. • Make notes for potential questions during this phase.

  9. Interview Etiquette • Know your subject specialist. • Check with colleagues, the library, the Web: • Qualifications? Approach? • Potential bias? Reputation? • Previously written or said on topic? • Use this in conjunction with background reading to compose your list of questions (see step 3).

  10. Interview Etiquette • Compose a list of questions. • Target your interviewee’s area of expertise. • Use questions that require explanation. • Acknowledge the specialist’s expertise • Stay focused. • Anticipate/prepare follow-up questions. • Check accuracy by reiterating important information.

  11. Interview Etiquette • Be polite. • Call or write ahead of time to request the interview. • Try to give a week or two notice, maybe more. • Offer to submit questions ahead of time. • Offer to conduct the interview by email if necessary. • Set a scheduled time slot (15-30 min?).

  12. Interview Etiquette • Be polite. • Be on time; finish on time. • Offer to provide a copy of the final document. • Thank the interviewee. • Write a thank you note and send within one week.

  13. Newsgroup/Listserv Etiquette • Observe the discussion before you start asking questions. • Check archives (and newsgroup FAQ) for review, if possible. • Use clear subject lines. • Keep your message to the point.

  14. Newsgroup/Listserv Etiquette • Be careful about what personal information you divulge online; don’t ask others to divulge personal information without good reason. • Pursue extended discussions with one or two using private email.

  15. Newsgroup/Listserv Etiquette • Define acronyms or abbreviations the first time you use them (brb, lol, fye, etc.). • Use emoticons J, :-O, etc. to indicate emotion, but be frugal so you avoid looking silly. • Don’t flame or respond to a flame in-kind.

  16. The Progression of Research: General to Specific Sources • Encyclopedias • Online catalogs, databases • Journals, indexes • Web pages • Newsgroups, listservs • Chat rooms, email, interviews

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