Using the Internet and doing library research isn't as straight-forward as many think. Strategies and techniques in this book will help make your research much more efficient.
Research librarian Ellen Metter realized, after 15 years in her profession, that even the most sophisticated researchers often didn't know about some of the time-saving techniques that would help focus their information gathering work.
In Facts in a Flash, Metter shares strategies learned by steering thousands of researchers to thousands of answers. Additionally, Metter lists more than 2,000 print and online resources, both free and subscription-based, for all subject areas.
This book will help anyone who plans to be looking up information on the Internet, through commercial databases, in libraries, or through experts.
Professional Reviews
I've simply never come across a Book Like This One
Whether your research needs are in the areas of government, law, culture, history, business, statistics, or verifying quotes and attributions, Metter shows you where to find what you're looking for. She presents access to multiple formats (phone numbers, print publications, CD-ROM, Web and/or subscription data base information) together rather than separately, so that under any heading you instantly have a variety of research approaches at your command. Metter is a recipient of the Excellence in Librarianship Award. It's easy to see why.
Anyone who does research knows librarians are invaluable, friendly, knowledgeable research assistants. Metter takes this happy cliché to a new level. Her "Research Techniques and Strategies" chapter is a straightforward education in and of itself. If you've been baffled by Boolean searches and twitipated by telnet, Metter sets you straight. Whether it's using search engines effectively, learning to tap into The Library of Congress online, interviewing distant experts or making the best use of your local library's interlibrary loan facilities, you'll find clear directions. With Facts, you'll spend less time learning how to do the research and more time doing it. What a relief it is to encounter inclusive research advice that doesn't raise the Internet to levels divine, but treats it as a tool for accessing the wide variety of available resources.
As a former English teacher and devoted library aficionado, I thought I knew a thing or two about research. Perusing "Facts" was a lesson in humility. A boon for writers, but also a great gift for students, teachers and anyone on your list who'd like to know how to find out what they don't know...
Nessa Flax
