IIFE Insight #1: Getting started is the hardest step. For some needs, it pays to be the active hunter for information. Other times it's more worthwhile to put yourself in the information flow and gather what comes your way. The trick is knowing where the best information flows. Want to become a skilled hunter-gatherer? Let us show you how.
IIFE Insight #2: For maximum success, be sure to locate the most productive hunting grounds. Ask a librarian to point out the best places to start foraging for information. Don't depend on beginner's luck to bring you what you need most. Nevertheless, do be on the alert to chance encounters because serendipity can work for you!
IIFE Insight #3: No matter how obscure your research topic or problem, there's always something rewarding out there for you to discover. Be patient! Successful foraging skills require time and practice to develop. Let us help you develop and refine your search strategy. You will be amazed at what we can help you find.
IIFE Insight #4: Discovering your information quarry is one thing, but retrieving it is another. As a discriminating information forager, you want to pursue and capture your most valuable resources first. Did you know that IPFW Helmke Library subscribes to nearly 2,000 periodicals, and provides online access to ten times that number? (That's millions of quality periodical articles, waiting for you.) Ask us to show you how to get just the right ones.
IIFE Insight #5: Just because it's published or posted on the Internet doesn't mean that the information is worthwhile. How can you tell what's reliable and what's not? Be wary and learn to sniff out the cues. Can you confirm the author's credentials and perspective, the publishing outlet's value, or the currency of the information? Let us give you some pointers.
IIFE Insight #6: Organizing your thoughts and all of your supporting documentation is a lot like eating a balanced diet. Over the long run, it pays to select a variety of resources and trim the fat. Come see us for guidance.
IIFE Insight #7: When you borrow another author's ideas or words, it pays to cite your source every time. Your credibility goes up, your diversity of resources becomes visible, and you position yourself right in the knowledge production stream. Let us help you cite like a pro.
IIFE Insight #8: Disciplines in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities each have distinctive literatures and ways of communicating new knowledge. Recognize the features of your information environment and you can exploit the resources that you encounter in each habitat. Meet with a subject expert to learn how.
