Searching as Strategic Exploration

Experts realize that information searching is a contextualized, complex experience that affects, and is affected by, the cognitive, affective, and social dimensions of the searcher. Novice learners may search a limited set of resources, while experts may search more broadly and deeply to determine the most appropriate information within the project scope.

ISS 4935: Seminar in the Social Sciences- St. Petersburg Campus

Search Strategies

Finding information isn't very difficult. Finding useful information that helps support your research can be more difficult. This page will have some common search techniques you can use across different resources. While every database is a little different these tips should help and if you are ever in doubt you can ask the librarian.

And, Or, Not

Databases are only as smart as the information you give them. These words used in your search can help you find more helpful resources:

AND

Narrows your results, tells database that all search terms must be present
AND is often implied between each word
example: College AND Cost AND Textbooks

Broadens your results, tells database to search any of the terms you put
connects items
example: College OR Money OR Textbooks

NOT

Narrows your results, tells databases to ignore resources using certain words or phrases
excludes words
example: College NOT Textbooks

Truncation

You can search for part of a word. This is great for root words that have multiple endings. It depends on the database but most use the * symbol

examples: Child* = children, child, childhood

Phrases

Some databases recognize phrases without you doing anything, others don't. Generally you use quotation marks to signify its a phrase.
If you don't use them the database may assume there is an unwritten AND
- ex: Animal AND Protection vs. "Animal Protection"
- these two different searches will get you very different results