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Information seeking process

If you wish to succeed in finding information, it's crucial to know the best sources and find good search terms.

Information seeking process includes several phases, which overlap each other depending on the topic and its degree of complexity.

describe your topic in your own words and consider its many aspects - think, write, draw, tabulate, analyze your topic
find out the central concepts and keywords related to the topic
brainstorm your search terms by using
- YSO
- MOT Dictionaries or other dictionaries if needed.
find out how to truncate search words in different databases and which truncation characters you can use (e.g. child* -> child, children, children’s)

start with SeAMK-Finna, check e-resources available to you
learn how to use different search services and take advantage of their extra features
combine search terms by the Boolean commands AND, OR and NOT. Remember to truncate search terms if needed. It’s also possible to limit searches for example by publication year or publication type.

MOT Kielipalvelu Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan
MOT Kielipalvelu contains MOT dictionaries, machine translation and proofreading.
Britannica Academic Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan
Britannica Academic delivers fast and easy access to high-quality, comprehensive information. The rich combination of the insightful Encyclopædia Britannica plus Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus, magazines and periodicals, and many other research tools provides the variety of reliable sources that students need to consult when conducting thorough research—all from one resource.

Personal consultation, concerning assignments and guidance for your final thesis,as well as research work is available to students and staff of Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences.
One of our information specialists will help you find find the information you need for your thesis or research project.
Book a consultation!