Step 1: Plan your search - think about your topic and ask yourself the following questions:
- What subject(s) do/does your topic fall under?
- What keywords describe your topic?
- Do you need primary or secondary sources?
- Do you need recent resources or resources from a specific span of time?
- What languages do you need material in?
Step 2: Review Database Descriptions - selecting the best database for your needs = success/failure
- What subject areas are covered in the database?
- What years does the database cover?
- What kinds of sources does the database include?
Step 3: Implement Proper Database Search Techniques
- Use advanced search when available
- Use boolean operators
- AND narrows your search
- e.g. a search for "alcoholism AND schizophrenia" would only return results including both the terms "alcoholism" AND "schizophrenia" together
- OR broadens your search
- e.g. a search for "Latino OR Hispanic" would return all results including either term, "Latino" or "Hispanic" (the terms would not have to be together in the results, but they may be)
- NOT limits your search
- e.g. a search for "pets NOT cats" would return results about pets that do not mention cats.
- Use limits to narrow results
- limits can be language, date, type of resource, etc.
- Use truncation and wildcards when applicable
- wom?n finds both woman and women
- philosoph* finds philosopher, philosophers, philosophy, etc.
Relevant readings:
- 10 best search engines http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/navigatingthenet/tp/top_10_search_engines_for_beginners.htm
- Top 10 search engines (US). http://www.listofsearchengines.info/
- Google Search Shortcuts (Cheat Sheet): http://websearch.about.com/library/cheatsheet/blgooglecheatsheet.htm
- Yahoo Search Shortcuts (Cheat Sheet): http://websearch.about.com/library/cheatsheet/nyahoocheatsheet.htm
- The Mobile Web: http://websearch.about.com/od/themobileweb/f/mobile-web.htm
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