TY - JOUR
T1 - Development of information search expertise
T2 - Postgraduates' knowledge of searching skills
AU - Chu, Samuel Kai Wah
AU - Law, Nancy
PY - 2007/7
Y1 - 2007/7
N2 - This paper reports on a study of the development of information searching expertise by 12 postgraduate research students. Six of the students were studying education, and six were studying engineering. The paper focuses on the students' perception of the importance of searching skills and the growth of their knowledge with these skills as they progressed through their studies. The study takes a longitudinal approach, using surveys, interviews, direct observations of students' searching behavior, as well as analysis of their thoughts over a one-year period. Findings reveal that, in the beginning, students performed more questionable subject searches and fewer keyword searches; later, as they understood more about subject searching and the power of keyword searches, they performed fewer subject searches but with greater accuracy and more keyword searches. The study also found that education students tended to use more complex keyword searches and formed more sophisticated search queries than did engineering students and that students' perception of the importance of searching skills increased as these skills became more familiar; this, in turn, led to more frequent use of the skills.
AB - This paper reports on a study of the development of information searching expertise by 12 postgraduate research students. Six of the students were studying education, and six were studying engineering. The paper focuses on the students' perception of the importance of searching skills and the growth of their knowledge with these skills as they progressed through their studies. The study takes a longitudinal approach, using surveys, interviews, direct observations of students' searching behavior, as well as analysis of their thoughts over a one-year period. Findings reveal that, in the beginning, students performed more questionable subject searches and fewer keyword searches; later, as they understood more about subject searching and the power of keyword searches, they performed fewer subject searches but with greater accuracy and more keyword searches. The study also found that education students tended to use more complex keyword searches and formed more sophisticated search queries than did engineering students and that students' perception of the importance of searching skills increased as these skills became more familiar; this, in turn, led to more frequent use of the skills.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34547477087&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1353/pla.2007.0028
DO - 10.1353/pla.2007.0028
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:34547477087
SN - 1531-2542
VL - 7
SP - 295
EP - 316
JO - Portal
JF - Portal
IS - 3
ER -