What is relevant information?

After the last skype session, I was a bit relieved to hear that we all have the same problems, for example regrouping all the collected information, relating it to your own practice or finding relevant information.

In fact, relevant information is a matter of quality. It is a description for the significance of information. Moreover, it is important to have a look at the situation you are in. I think that for our studies, it is normal to collect a lot of data, definitions and explanations. At this moment, you’ll hopefully try to think outside of the box and get to know different dimensions to your subject.

While collecting information, it is already helpful and time-saving to only pick relevant information. Ask yourself what is the main subject, what you want to know and what you need the information for. If you don’t have any response to the last question, you probably don’t need to waste your time with a document.

After having picked out the information that you think you’ll need, there’ll be another selection. Did you write down something twice? Is this sentence useful for your essay and is that quote crucial to support your statement?

I really loved Amy’s idea of a mental library, where you constantly collect resources and use it one day, when it might become relevant. For sure, it is fundamental to have a general knowledge and sometimes score with an interesting fact. At the same time, your brain is not an infinite medium. Some memories are going to stay forever “in the front”, others will be buried somewhere deep inside and some information is deleted immediately. Your brain sometimes choses subconscious its own relevant information.

In my case, I’m planning to visit the library next week. Having a real book in your hands is a different feeling than sitting in front of your laptop. At the same time, I think that the explanations, definitions and resources might be even more credible, than digital information. As I don’t want to stay for weeks at the library, it will be important to make a plan and look for – guess what – relevant information. Maybe after that little adventure, I can complete my opinion about relevant information.