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Chemistry Research Guide

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Ellen Cline
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Citation Resources

picture of a hedge maze with the word "search"

Searching Effectively

Basic Search Tips

Unlike ChatGPT or even Google, databases can't quite understand an entire sentence. You'll need to break your topic down into the most important ideas - the keywords.

Example Topic: How do pesticides like atrazine affect health?

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

Keywords: pesticides, atrazine, health

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: pesticide    Synonym: herbicide, toxicant, etc.
Keyword: health    Synonym: condition, well being, etc.

 

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.

screenshot of library search with the options in left sidebar highlightedMost library databases have search tools built in. Try some of these:

  • Subject: Think of subjects as official hashtags. Use them to find sources about that subject. You can also incorporate the words and phrases used here into your search, as new synonyms.
  • Date Range: Limit your search to sources published between specific years.
  • Peer Reviewed: Limit your search to scholarly journal articles.
  • Full Text: Make sure all of the results are available to read in full.

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

Depending on your topic, you may find it more useful to search for a particular substance instead of a string of keywords. Many tools (like SciFinder, PubChem, etc.) will let you draw a compound and just search for that structure:

screenshot from CAS SciFinder showing a search bar and a circled atrazine compound drawn with a computer

You can evaluate any source using the 5 W's:colorful picture of corkboard covered with post-it notes and the word "Evaluate" in the middle

  • Who: ...created it? What is their background with relation to this subject?
  • What: ...is the purpose of this resource? What do others have to say about the people behind the resource?
    • For example, is it sponsored by a company that has a financial interest in the topic?
  • Where: ...was this information published? Where does the information come from?
  • When: ...was this published or last updated?
  • Why: ...is this resource useful? Why is this resource better than other ones?

Intermediate Search Tips

venn diagram showing two overlapping circles with the word AND in the middle

Use the operator AND to find only sources that mention both keywords.

atrazine AND health

This search will bring back fewer results than searching either keyword on its own.

two maroon circles connected with OR

Use the OR operator to expand your search with additional keywords.

atrazine OR pesticide

This will find sources that include either word, so you'll see more results than by searching for just one keyword.

Use the “QUOTES” strategy to search for several words in a phrase.

This will bring back results that only use that exact phrase.

screen capture of advanced search with quotation marks around a phrase

Remember: databases, search engines (like Google and Google Scholar), and even AI tools are built by people. We all have different ways of communicating, even around similar topics. When it comes to searching (or prompting), don't use the exact same search string or same phrasing in each place you look. Often switching up words, phrases, and techniques can help you find different, more relevant results.