Unit5 Forum: Personal Search Style

Personal Search Style: Are you a Browser? Or are you a Searcher?

You will be authentically engaging in trying to satisfy an information need. In order to make this more relevant to your life, use a real-life information need that you currently have to complete this assignment. Two suggestions: the process of looking for and applying to internships, or next semester course registration at the University of Maryland (as a follow up to last unit). These are two suggestions, you may choose something else, but make sure it is relevant to your life. This discussion is aimed at discovering whether you are a browser or a searcher.

Complete the following:

• Decide on an information need, write about why you have the need and what you need to do to satisfy it. (2-3 sentences)
• Review  of searching and browsing behaviors
• Write out a step-by-step process as to how you start to satisfy your information need (~3-4 short paragraphs, or a bulleted list or table)
• Identify at least 2-3 of the behaviors on the list that you engaged in (~4 sentences)
• Directed browsing
• Semi-directed browsing
• Undirected browsing
• Known-item search
• Exploratory seeking
• “Don’t Know What You Need to Know”
• Re-finding
• Briefly reflect on your process. Did you engage in behaviors that were more aligned with that of a searcher? Or that of a browser? Explain and then crown yourself a browser or a searcher (3-4 sentences)

What To Submit and Hand In Here

You will be assessed on one initial forum post. You may feel free to respond to others as well, and keep in mind that the in-class activities are many times designed to enhance the work from your forum post assignments. Click "Show Rubric" to see how you will be assessed. See below for a screenshot of this.