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Citation Resources
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 does the classroom environment affect learning and retention for middle school girls studying math?
The specifics of your topic will matter when selecting sources, but for searching you only need the most essential components.
Keywords: classroom environment, learning, retention, middle school girls, math
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:
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.
Most library databases have search tools built in. Try some of these:
Look on the left and right of your search results, or for an "advanced search" page to find these tools - and more!
You can evaluate any source using the 5 W's:
Intermediate Search Tips
Use the operator AND to find only sources that mention both keywords.
This search will bring back fewer results than searching either keyword on its own.
Use the OR operator to expand your search with additional keywords.
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.
Advanced Search Tips
Try an asterisk (*) for all possible variations of a word.
This saves you from having to put many different words into one search box.
Parentheses ( ) define order of operations.
This allows you to combine multiple searches into one string for one search.
Combine an asterisk and parentheses with a few exact phrases (in quotes, remember) and you've got a powerful search string:
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.