Online Searching: A Guide to Finding Quality Information Efficiently and Effectively, 3rd Ed

Markey’s (emerita, school of information, Univ. of Michigan) all-inclusive textbook on online searching, first published in 2015, is now available in a third edition, revised by Knott (school of information, Univ. of Arizona; Find the Information You Need!). Knott’s revisions add variety to Markey’s authoritative voice, ensuring that this work will continue to be an essential part of LIS curricula. Knott maintains the core of Markey’s work, detailing seven essential steps in online searching. This content is supplemented by interviews with current industry professionals and new chapters on web searching and assessment metrics. Technical chapters, such as “Technical Reading of a Database Search System,” and more philosophical offerings, such as “The Age of Research,” bookend the core content. This text abounds with succinct yet comprehensive instruction that maintains relevancy for today’s students and practitioners. For example, the chapter “Assessing Research Impact” contains information on Dimensions AI, an increasingly popular AI-based scientific research database. Knott and Markey also provide thoughtful guidance on conducting the reference interview. Librarians may appreciate the reminder to know when to stop searching, which brings to mind the adage “Librarians like to seek, users like to find.”