Helpdesk
To find an answer or a solution you need to define the question or problem you are trying to fix.
Before beginning any information search, you should be absolutely clear about what it is you're looking for – a little planning at the start can save time and effort later in the process ie it means knowing the right question.
Use these few basic questions to get started:
For a quick overview, see our interactive Search Tips guide, then use the sections below for more in-depth advice and the eLearning modules.
The purpose is important as this dictates your approach, how comprehensive your search needs to be and how much information you expect to find. For example, a search to find a quick answer to the meaning of a word is very different to starting a research project. It is also helpful to think about who is going to read your results.
Do you want to:
Whatever your purpose, you need to plan your search.
Within each concept you will have a number of key words which describe the concept - you need to use OR to search for these as you will want to find all resources which use any of these terms.
To link your concepts, use AND, as you are looking for resources which include both concepts.
For more help see: Define your key terms and concepts.