michigan informatics

The 3 Step Search Process

Your search for answers will be a three step process involving:

1. Choosing resources
   Searching is always a creative process and the nature of your individual need will determine how to begin your search. However, it is generally works well to begin by checking the web sites of organizations which might collect the data you need. If you can not think of who might collect the data, you can browse a gateway to online health statistics which will list a wide variety of web sites which provide online health statistics. Next, you can search Google or another large, general search engine using keywords to try and locate the information. And finally, you might want to check the published literature by searching databases of journal articles.
   
2. Developing search strategies
   You will need to search each resource in a different way. Some may have a clear organizational structure that you can browse easily, while others may require you to search using keywords. If you are using a search engine or searching a database, it is always useful to read the Help or Tips.
   
3. Reviewing search results and repeating steps as necessary
   During your searching, continuously review the results of your searches and then revise your search strategy or your choice of resources as appropriate. Searching is always an iterative process and you will rarely find exactly what you are looking for on the first try.