Event Management: Getting started

When you search, you are usually looking for information to answer your assignment question.  A common approach, is to type that question into a search engine... but, how relevant are the results you get? 

Although some search engines, for example Google, automatically search for synonyms; there isn't one that can understand the context, or meaning, behind the words that you've used.  This means that you have to think about what terms you are using in your search (the keywords), and where you search for that information.

First, look at what the assignment question is asking you to do, or find out.

Although this may seem obvious, the time you spend on this step will -

1. save you time later in your search; and
2. mean that your searches will be more successful.

When analysing what the assignment is asking you to do, you should look at the question posed from various angles.

As an example, if given this assignment question:

Discuss a logistical issue faced by the stakeholders of a major New Zealand event of your choice.

You can see that there a many questions within this assignment question, including:

• What is the definition of a logistical issue?
  
• What event will you choose?
• Which logistical issue will you choose?
  
• Who are the stakeholders of the event?
  
• How are the stakeholders impacted by the chosen logistical issue?
  
• Why is the logisitical issue important to the stakeholders?
  

From this analysis, you can see that there are some words that summarise the main ideas within the assignment question, and keep appearing in our sub-questions... these are our keywords!

Keywords

1. logistics
   
2. stakeholder
   
3. event management
   

Then, because not everyone uses the same words to describe something, think of some synonyms, or alternative words, that could be used instead of your keywords...

Synonyms

1. logistics
   Also consider: preparation, planning, strategy, organisation, organization, etc
   
2. stakeholder
   Also consider: sponsor, public, participants, etc
   
3. event management
   Also consider searching for the event you have chosen (e.g. WOMAD), or the broad description of the event (e.g. music festival)
   

Analysis of your assignment helps you to identify where you should look for the information you need...

Type of Information needed:

• Authentic and authoritative.
• Accurate.
• Current.
• Suitable for an academic assignment.
• New Zealand based information, but potentially looking for information from other countries for "compare and contrast" reasons.
• From a broad range or sources to enable triangulation - using multiple information sources to determine how consistent the ideas presented are (Pidgeon and Henwood, as cited in Herring, 2012, Selection of Schools and Sampling, para. 4).

Possible sources of information that will give the type of information required on the subject:

• Resources and information provided within your course.
• Wintec library catalogue - to view books and other library resources on the subject.
• Internet - although you have to be wary regarding the authenticity and authority of SOME of the information found on the Internet; it allows you to access to unique, relevant information about the issue.
• Library databases - to find journal articles. In this case, I'd search OneSearch, EBSCOhost, Proquest, and ScienceDirect.

Reference

Herring, J. (2012). Year 7 students, information literacy, and transfer: A grounded theory. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/slmrb/slmrcontents/volume14/herring

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