Finding information 2

Which source you use depends on what information you are looking for. You will become better at finding information quickly if you give yourself lots of practise.

You should also keep in mind the following.

• Speed - how quickly will you be able to get the information? If you write a letter to an organisation in London and wait for a reply, you may have to wait a week or more. Could you find the information more quickly by another means?
• Cost - don't spend money on bus fares to find out information that you could get just as easily by telephoning.
• Quality - you want information that is correct and up to date. If you are taking information from a book, look at the front to see when it was published. Depending on the subject, the information could now be out of date if the book was published several years ago.

How good are your research skills? Try the 'finding information' worksheet on the next screen.