1.2. Search goals
It is important to define our goals before we start our search. Having a clear picture of what we want and, what is even more important, what we want it for will allow us to avoid wasting time ineffectively surfing the Internet, and may even determine the tools and strategies we will use in our research.
Therefore, having a clear picture of what our needs are and how we want to use the results obtained will be essential.
Before we begin, we should set specific goals that help us define and narrow down the search.
If we want to perform an academic-related search, we should summarise the previous knowledge we may have on the subject. A good choice of directories and search engines will also be essential.
Example
If we have the goal to deepen our knowledge in a law-related topic and we want to use this information for professional purposes, performing a Google search will not probably provide satisfactory enough results. Instead, searching in a specialized database (such as http://hj.tribunalconstitucional.es/en) will allow us to find the desired information efficiently.