Curation

When I need information I do a combination of ask and find. If I know anybody that is well versed in the topic I will engage them in a discussion around the required information and/or ask them to share any resources they may have; or suggestions for searches. To further this information I will often go to the internet to find other resources to give more depth to what I have found/learned. Rarely do I go to library resources anymore- but feel that this is likely to change as my search and curation skills and techniques improve. I need to become more familiar and comfortable with professional journal and resource searches both related to necessity and understanding what I have available to me.

The information that I find and use for professional purposes is ideally published within the last 10 years and sourced from accredited/credible sources; sources that are recognized within my network of interest/practice to be leaders in research, practice and curation themselves or vetted by professional bodies recognized in my field of practice that focus on quality care and best practice or research related to the same. I rely on the institutions that are putting this information out to ensure that the work is high quality. I do make the assumption or trust that the system of, for example trauma care, has accredited these `sources of truth’ and that they meet the standards that are set out by the associations that oversee and guide the research and work being done; like the American College of Surgeons and TQIP (Trauma Quality Improvement Program).

When I find good information I am not savvy in how I keep it or make it easy for me to retrieve. This is a skill that I am working on honing. I am frequently finding resources that I want to be able to access in the future; however am struggling with how to keep a good `catalogue’ that I can refer back to. As I use Twitter professionally versus personally, and often find journal articles that people have referenced I often retweet so I can both share and have access to it in the future. I am going to see how RefWorks works for me, maybe this is my answer. How are others curating their lists for websites, blogs, photos/video or graphic resources?