Basic course in information search

Online course: Basic course in information search

Go directly to the online course in information search.

About the course

In our open online course, you will learn the basics of information searching so that you can

• search for information for a paper
• find scientific articles
• design your searches to be more precise.

You will learn how to search smarter with search engines and find tools for searching in scientific databases on your own.

The course mixes text-based information with videos, exercises and quizzes. During the course, you will practice how to

• choose a search engine or database based on the type of material you are looking for
• pick out keywords from your search question and group synonyms
• use different search techniques such as phrase searching, AND and OR
• create search strings using brackets.

Free of charge and open to all

Details of the course structure:

• The course is free, online and completely open.
• The course is aimed at students, but you can take the course even if you are not a university student.
• You can go through the content at your convenience and do the course in its entirety or choose those parts that interest you.
• The course is available in both English and Swedish.

We recommend that you have an actual paper or assignment to work with when taking the course. That way, you can directly apply the techniques and tips you get to learn.

The course is also available in the learning platform Canvas

For students

Are you a student at Umeå University? If so, you can register for the basic course in information search in the learning platform Canvas. You will then have access to the course via Canvas throughout your studies.

Register for the basic course in information search (Canvas)

For teachers

As a teacher, you can integrate this course into your own Canvas course by adding the basic course in information search as a module:

• You can find the module in the Canvas Commons by searching for "ub umu".
• You can then import the module into your course.
• If the module does not appear after the import, an administrator at your university will need to activate the SCORM feature for Canvas.

Link to the course

Open online course: Basic course in information search