Daily PlanIt Information Management

Internet Research Resources

The ability to locate, evaluate, and organize information is a skill in demand in the workplace. Information is a resource often necessary to solve problems, make decisions, and develop plans.      Information comes in many forms and from many sources, often in overwhelming amounts! How can we pinpoint the valuable information we need among the sea of books, advertisements, junk mail, articles of little interest and inaccurate data? Constantly scan for information that will apply to your needs and wants. Rapidly glance at headlines and contents with an eye for what is important to you. What do you need to know more about? What are your interests?      Locate: Actively pursue quality information by looking for it where it's most likely to be. Subscribe to the best magazine in your field, join the top association. Ironically, sometimes the best information can be found in the most unlikely sources. Factors to consider in selecting sources of information include speed, accuracy, cost, and method of organization. The more you learn about sources of information, the better you can judge the best source for your needs.      Evaluate: If a piece of information looks interesting, evaluate it, based on: quality, objectivity, reliability, timeliness, usefulness, clarity. Select the best, and don't worry about the rest. Once selected, information must be organized to be accessible and useful. Organize papers with an alphabetical filing system using logical subject headings. Dating information helps in maintaining current files. Keeping a list of subject headings used can be helpful.      Organize: A good system to handle constantly changing computer information is a binder notebook with sections that could include: questions to ask, software tips and shortcuts, articles to read, step-by-step procedures, search engine strategies, Internet sites you want to investigate.