Searching for information
You often search for and find information without realising how you do it.
Before you start a search you should ask yourself two questions:
- What am I looking for?
- Where should I look?
Here are some examples:
| What am I looking for? | Where should I look? |
|---|---|
| What's on TV on Tuesday night? | TV magazine on the Tuesday page or Tuesday's newspaper and after 6 p.m. |
| The phone number of Joe Smith, Ayr | Phone book of the Ayr area under 'Smith' |
| Train times from Glasgow | Train timetable for the Glasgow to Ayr route |
Your choice of words in the column What am I looking for? is very important. They tell you exactly where to look for the information. The clearer you are about what you are looking for, the quicker and easier it is for you to find it.
The words you choose are called the keywords for your search.
Here are the keywords for the searches above:
| What am I looking for? | Keywords |
|---|---|
| What's on TV on Tuesday night? | TV, Tuesday, night |
| The phone number of Joe Smith, Ayr | Phone number, Joe Smith, Ayr |
| Train times from Glasgow | Train, Glasgow, Ayr |
Your skill in choosing good keywords is important for searching for information on the WWW.
