Even in the 18th century, scholars realized it was not possible to know
everything worth knowing; sometimes, we have to look it up. Fortunately
for Dr. Johnson, he did not have to be familiar with so many sources and
so many different techniques for finding information. He did, however,
recognize the value of knowing where to find information. What today’s
Internet-enabled workers have discovered is that we also need to know
how to search and how to evaluate what we find.
This book compiles basic advice, techniques, reference information,
and resources to help working professionals find accurate information
quickly. It is written particularly for those whose work involves tapping
into federal government information. The book began as a set of materials
for TheCapitol.Net’s seminar, "Research Tools and Techniques:
Refining Your Online and Offline Searches." It is
designed to be used as a complement to that seminar or independently as
a desk reference.
The first and second chapters cover practical principles of research
and online searching, including the general search engines. These sections
include checklists and advice that are applicable to many different
research tasks and many different databases and search engines.
The third, fourth, and fifth chapters present resources for federal legislative,
judicial, and executive branch research.
The sixth chapter covers starting points for state and international
research on the web.
The final chapter, “Experts and Insiders,” has tips for tapping into that
vital Washington information resource: people.
In our knowledge economy, more and more people—with a wide
range of education and experience—are moving into jobs that require
some information-gathering skills. The research training provided at many
schools lays a foundation, but often does not prepare us for the varied demands of the working world.
This book can help anyone involved in government research by increasing their information literacy, improving their research effectiveness and efficiency.
"It is a valuable tool for a wide variety of searchers
interested in polishing their information gathering skills. Summing up:
Recommended.
All levels."
--
CHOICE (click for full
review)
"This gem is not too overwhelming for a novice, yet librarians
and practitioners will also find it to be a very practical
and valuable resource. It will prove its worth in
gold at the reference desk." -- Deborah Lynne Wiley,
Online,
Jan/Feb 2007, page 63
"Peggy Garvin is the 'go-to' Washington expert on how to effectively locate, evaluate and leverage information from federal and state government websites.
If you buy one book this year to assist you in researching on the web, make it this one!" -- Sabrina I. Pacifici,
Founder, Editor, Publisher, LLRX.com and Author of the blog on law and technology news, beSpacific.com,
Washington, DC
"Real World Research Skills helps web searchers target their research to some of the most reliable information sources -- government statistics, reports and analysis. It's
a great pathfinder through the thickets of federal and state government resources, written in a format that makes it
an essential desk book for the serious researcher." -- Mary Ellen Bates,
Bates Information Services Inc.
"This is an excellent basic resource for anyone in need of government information. It's
very well-organized, with a good Scope note that clearly lays out the book's objectives.
It includes important basics - how to think before you begin your research; how to work on unfamiliar topics; what to search and how to evaluate the results - which are not always included in books of this type. There's
good advice on using advanced search options, understanding Boolean logic, and making a FOIA request, as well as a reminder that not everything is available online and print sources are still important.
The layout is clear; charts and boxes make the information easy to find and use. The sections on state and international information are brief, but contain all the essentials.
Though this book is aimed at those needing 'basic advice and techniques,' even experienced researchers can find a new resource or a bit of helpful advice.It will prove useful for information professionals, librarians, and anyone who needs to access government information." -- Kee Malesky,
NPR Reference Library
"Ms. Garvin's Real World Research Skills is a real find. As a professional researcher and professor, I found her book to be
clear, concise, and supremely easy to use. Her examples of how to use the Internet to scour for accurate information on governmental sources are true gems.
This handy little book will enhance the research skills of even old pros." -- Alphonse Vinh,
Adjunct Professor, School of Library & Information Science, The Catholic University of America
"This gem will prove its worth in gold for those researching government topics." -- Deborah Liptak, debsinfo2go.us
"While Real World Research Skills is a treasure trove of specific repositories and sites for information, of particular interest to me are the descriptions of the thought processes needed to obtain the information necessary for a research project. Also valuable is the discussion of the mindset needed when talking to an individual source, e.g., qualifying them as being a legitimate source, and making sure the researcher has a working knowledge of the issues so the source doesn't have to give a basic education. A valuable tool for high school and college students." -- Davis Scott,
Chicago, IL
PEGGY
GARVIN is an independent information consultant. Her company,
Garvin Information Consulting, provides training, writing, and consulting
to help professionals make the best use of the wealth of U.S. government
information online. Peggy has worked with government information,
libraries, and information technology over her twenty-year-plus career
with the Library of Congress Congressional Research Service and in the
private sector. She earned her Master of Library Science degree from Syracuse
University.
Peggy contributes to TheCapitol.Net's
Congressional Deskbook and edits
the annual reference book e-Government and Web Directory: U.S. Federal
Government Online (Lanham, MD: Bernan Press). Her column, "The
Government Domain," appears in the law and technology webzine,
LLRX.com. She also writes a government information column for the magazine
Searcher (Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc.).
Multiple copy discount
for single order to single shipping address.
Plus shipping and handling (8% of order, $10 minimum).
Discount for bookstores and classroom use.
VA sales tax added when shipped to VA address.
2009, 132 pages Ships within 1 business
day
Softbound $15.95
ISBN 10: 1587331500
ISBN 13: 978-1-58733-150-3
Dimensions: 6.15 x 9.2 x
0.25
Weight: 0.5 pounds
Buy from TheCapitol.Net
Buy from Amazon
(opens in new window)
Buy from Barnes & Noble
(opens in new window)
Hardcover
$21.95
ISBN 10: 158733156X
ISBN 13: 978-1-58733-156-5
Dimensions: 6.25 x 9.5 x
0.55
Weight: 0.8 pounds
TheCapitol.Net is a
non-partisan firm, and the opinions of its faculty,
authors, clients and the owners and operators of its vendors
are
their own and do not represent those of TheCapitol.Net.
