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Basic Search Tips

SearchUnlike Google, library databases can't understand an entire sentence. So you'll need to break your topic down into the most important ideas - the KEYWORDS.

Example Topic: [replace this text with an appropriate example topic for your subject, written as a complete sentence or question]

The specifics of your topic will matter when selecting sources, but for searching you only need the most essential components.

Keywords: [replace this text with the keywords for your example topic in a comma-separated list]

[Once you have chosen a topic example, create an animated GIF highlighting the keywords, as demonstrated below.]

Example Topic: Female muralists in the Twentieth Century in Mexico and the United States.

The specifics of your topic will matter when selecting sources, but for searching you only need the most essential components.

Keywords:  Female  muralists  Mexico  United States

Research question with keywords highlighted

Example Topic: Approaches to nutrition for diabetes across cultures:  Diet for diabetes in the U.S. and China.

The specifics of your topic will matter when selecting sources, but for searching you only need the most essential components.

Keywords:  nutrition, diabietes, diets, U.S., China.

GIF of research topic "Approaches to nutrition for diabetes across cultures: Diets for diabetes in the U.S. and China" with the keywords "nutrition," "diabetes," "diets," "U.S.," and "China" highlighted

Example Topic: How do Maria Montessori's theories contribute to space design for child care centers that support child development?

Keywords: Montessori, early childhood education, child care centers, design, childhood development

Research question "How do Maria Montesorri's theories contribute to space design for child care centers that support child development?" with the words "Maria Montessori," "space design," "child care centers," and "child development" highlighted

Example Topic:  What miscalculations, materials, and policies contributed to levees breaching during Hurricane Katrina in 2005?

Keywords: miscalculations, materials, levees, breaching, Hurricane Katrina

Research question "What miscalculations, materials, and policies contributed to levees breaching during Hurricane Katrina in 2005?" with the words miscalculations, materials, policies, levees breaching, and Hurricane Katrina highlighted

Example Topic: How did federal immigration policies about family reunification and family separation change from 1990 to 2020?

Keywords: immigration policies, family reunification, family separation, 1990 to 2020

GIF of text "How did federal immigration policies about family reunification and family separation change from 1990 to 2020 highlighting the text "immigration policies," "family reunification," "family seperation," and "1990 to 2020."

Example Topic: What are some effective treatments for teenagers dealing with stress?  Is there evidence that exercise such as yoga helps?

Keywords:  effective treatments, teenagers, stress, exercise, yogaResearch question "What are some effective treatments for teenagers dealing with Stress? Is there evidence that exercises such as yoga help?" with the keywords "effective treatments," "teenagers," "stress," "exercise," and "yoga" highlighted

Example Topic: What is the impact of family friendly policies on income inequality?

Keywords: impact, family friendly policies, income inequality

Research question "what is the impact of family friendly policies on income inequality?" with the words "impact," "family friendly policies," and "income inequality" highlighted

Example Topic: How is gender used to market clothes for babies?  How does this vary historically and culturally?

Keywords: gender, market, clothes, historically, culturally

Research question "What are some of the major shifts in U.S. refugee policy since 1970, and what political factors contributed to those shifts?" with the keywords "shifts," "U.S. refugee policy," and "political factors" highlighted

Most words have synonyms that mean the same, or very similar, things. For each keyword in your topic, try to come up with at least one synonym. Not all keywords will have synonyms, but many do!

Example: 

Keyword: [insert a keyword from your example topic]     Synonym: [provide one appropriate synonym]

 

Keep an Eye Out

Sometimes scholars use terms that you might not be familiar with, or which might mean something very specific within the discipline. While searching, look for unfamiliar terms or words that show up a lot. Try searching for those and see if you find more relevant sources.

Example of tools to refine searchLibrary databases have built in search tools. Try some of these:

  • Date: Limit your search to sources published between specific years.
  • Scholarly Journals: Limit your search to scholarly journal articles.
  • Format: Limit your search to articles, books, images, etc.
  • Subject: Think of subjects as official hashtags. Use them to find sources about that subject.

Look on the left of your search results, or for an "advanced search" page to find these tools - and more!

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Web: Surface vs. Deep vs. Dark

Source:  Lederman, Abe.  "Google Just Gets to the Tip of the Iceberg."  Refer:  Journal of the Information Services Group, 2016.  https://referisg.wordpress.com/2016/07/02/google-just-gets-to-the-tip-of-the-iceberg-how-to-get-to-the-gems-in-the-deep-web/