1.3 Evaluating the results of the search

Table of Contents

1. Validity of information
2. Reliability criteria
3. Measuring the success of a search
4. Structuring and saving of search results
   1. Ordering results
   2. Bibliographic references
   3. Archiving searches
   4. Frequently asked questions
   5. Updating data

Ordering results

You might adopt one or a combination of:

• Following the progress of the search - "First I looked at the Food Standards Agency site and this told me....., then I moved on to the Association of Farmers Markets where I found.... etc.
• Geographical order - grouping information from a country together
• Chronological order - to show how a topic developed
• Alphabetical order - if the result of the search is a list of references
• Bypoint of view - information on one side of the argument, then the opposing side.

These are only some possibilities and you should not feel compelled to choose one of these. The important thing is that your structure for presenting the information suits the topic and is helpful to the client.

Let's take a look now at bibliographic references...