Module 1: Starting Smart

This module covers types of information sources you can use for your topic. When you have completed this section of BOLT you should be able to:

• identify a variety of information sources
• identify characteristics of information on the Web
• identify characteristics of library information

Module 2: Choosing a Topic

This module covers topic selection and how to identify keywords to search your topic. When you have completed this module you should be able to:

• broaden or narrow a topic
• identify keywords for a topic
• use connectors and truncation in constructing a search
• understand the difference between keyword and subject searching

Module 3: Finding Books

This module covers how to find books and periodical titles on ALICE, the OU library catalog. When you have completed this module you should be able to:

• find books on a topic that you might be interested in by using either a keyword or a subject search
• find specific books by using a title search
• find books by title, author, or subject heading
• find journals, magazines or newspapers by using a periodical title search
• identify where books or journals are located

Module 4: Finding Articles

This module covers how to use article indexes to identify articles on a subject. After completing this module you should be able to:

• distinguish between popular and scholarly periodicals
• choose an article index appropriate to your information need
• use it to identify an article on a topic

Module 5: Using the Web

When you have completed this section of BOLT, you should be able to

• understand the organization of the Internet
• identify the major types of Web sites
• understand what online subject directories are and identify the differences between commercial and academic subject directories
• use Ohio University's INFOTREE
• use search engines and metasearch engines to search the Web