Question 17

Question

Fikile is investigating the relationship between urban development and water conservation efforts in the Eastern Cape. Given the interdisciplinary nature of her research, rank the following actions to create an effective search strategy:

Review urban planning and environmental conservation journals for relevant articles.

Define specific keywords like 'urban development,' 'water conservation,' and 'Eastern Cape.'

Start with a general search engine to get an overview before moving to specialized databases.

Use Boolean operators to combine various terms and create complex search queries.


4, 1, 3, 2


2, 4, 3, 1


4, 2, 1, 3


2, 4, 1, 3

Answer 1

To create an effective search strategy, it is essential to first define specific keywords, then use Boolean operators to refine the search, followed by reviewing relevant journals, and lastly, starting with a general search to gain an overview. Based on this logical order, the best ranking for Fikile's actions would be:

2, 4, 1, 3

1. Define specific keywords like 'urban development,' 'water conservation,' and 'Eastern Cape.'
2. Use Boolean operators to combine various terms and create complex search queries.
3. Review urban planning and environmental conservation journals for relevant articles.
4. Start with a general search engine to get an overview before moving to specialized databases.

This order ensures that she begins with a solid foundation (keywords), refines her approach (Boolean operators), finds detailed and relevant information (journals), and finally understands the broader context (general search).