Topic 1    Introduction

This section should help you to:

• talk about and describe different kinds of information;
• understand and use the terms ‘fields’ and ‘records’;
• understand what a library catalogue is and why you might use one;
• understand what a database is and why you might use one;
• understand what the world wide web is and why you might use it;
• turn a search question into a search strategy.

In this section we are going to look at the next stage in the process of finding information. We will be introducing the sorts of information systems you might use. Some of these are organised, like library catalogues and databases, whilst others, such as the World Wide Web , are not. We will be showing you how to move from knowing broadly what information you are looking for, to knowing where you are likely to find it, and to planning how you will go about retrieving it.

NB – If you plan to complete all the activities in this section you will need to allow between one and two hours to finish everything. Some activities will require you to use paper and pen to make notes or record your thoughts.