Saturday, October 4, 2014

Panning for Gold

     Have you ever gone panning for gold? After learning about the California Gold Rush in the fourth grade, my family went camping in gold country, right on the American River. I remember going to a gift shop, buying a gold pan, and thinking that I would spend an afternoon by the river and strike it rich. In my naivety, I spent about half an hour panning for gold on the river, and came back with nothing but a wet pair of jeans. In research papers past and continuing into my research for this research essay, searching for sources on the internet feels a lot like panning for gold. Without the proper searching tools, simply "Googleling" your topic will yield a wealth of information - much of it useless.
     I was pleased to learn from The Curious Researcher the proper ways to search for relevant information on a topic online and in library databases. I had no idea as to how much using proper searching techniques could narrow down potential sources - indeed, using keywords, connector words, and Library of Congress Subject Headings can narrow down your search results as much as six-thousand percent! I believe that the resources of the Boise State Library combined with what I find using search tools such as Ebsco databases and Google Advanced Search will yield sufficient information for my research essay, provided I use the research techniques described in The Curious Researcher.
     Of course, panning for gold made hundreds of men rich during the Gold Rush. In the same way, simply searching Google with the name of a topic can yield some excellent sources, and can even help refine your inquiry question. However, when it comes time to dig deep, to really mine for sources, one should know the proper techniques for striking gold.

1 comment:

  1. Panning for gold is an apt metaphor, Luke. At least you're getting your pants wet in the right rivers.

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