The following are several search tips and strategies that will help you find the subject specific content you are looking for. Each resource has a unique interface and won't allow every search strategy to be employed, but the following advice is a good overview of subject specific searching using online electronic resources.
Subject Headings
Subject Heading, Subject Term, Index Term and Descriptor all refer to a word or phrase that defines the topic of an item. Most item records found in these resources will have at least one subject heading applied to it. A set of these terms make up a controlled vocabulary. An example of this is the Library of Congress Subject Headings (http://authorities.loc.gov/). These terms are used as keywords to retrieve documents that have been tagged with the term. Pay attention to the subject terms used in the record to index an item you are interested in, as that is a good way to find similar content.
Facets
On the side of your search results in some of these resources will be a list of topics, or facets, that can help refine your initial search. Facets will be different in depending on the resource, and are a good way to narrow in on a specific topic, author or time period. Sometimes facets are only subject topics, other times facets can be authors, time periods, languages, or formats. Simply click on the term to narrow the search rsults using that term.
Phrase Searching
Use "quotes" to search an exact phrase.
Boolean Searching
One of the most common searching methods is Boolean Searching, also called key word searching. This type of search tells the electronic resource to retrieve all of the records which contain a word or a set of words. You can alter the results by using Boolean Operators which are the words AND, OR and NOT. See below for an explanation of these terms Boolean Operators
AND :
OR :
NOT :
Truncation
Use Truncation to find different forms of words in a Boolean or keyword search. Some electronic resources use the asterisk and others use the question mark. Check the help function of the resource you are using to learn the truncation symbol.
You can combine truncated terms with other words using Boolean Operators.
Nesting
Use Nesting to preserve the "logic" of your Boolean Search. Nesting is the use of parenthesis to put your search words into sets.
Nesting is often used when search terms have similar meanings:
Stop words
Stop words are commonly used words that will automatically stop a computer keyword search because they occur too frequently in records. Stop words are usually listed in the help screens of whatever resource you are using. Some stop words are: the, an, at, for, from, then. When constructing a keyword search, choose the most important words.
Evaluating your resources is critical, especially when that information is found online. It is just as important to know where your information is coming from as it is to know where your food comes from. Below are five criteria by which you should evaluate all your resources:
Authorship |
Does the author have academic or professional credentials in the field? |
Examples |
Author has a Ph.D. in the field being researched. Author practices in the field, e.g. is a nurse, doctor, criminologist, etc. |
Associated Organization |
Is the publisher/producer/provider a known and reliable organization that is recognized within the field you are researching? |
Examples |
Website belongs to a well respected professional organization such as the Canadian Medical Association or the John Howard Society. Book is published by a University Press or an academic publisher such as Wiley or Blackwell or Lippincott. Journal is published by a professional organization such as the American Dental Association or a University Press. |
Sources of Information |
Does the resource provide sources for information via in-text citation or footnotes and a works cited? |
Examples |
Website provides citations and a Bibliograpnhy. Journal article is extensively footnoted and has a list of References. Book has citations or Endnotes and a Works Cited or References |
Currency |
Is it important that the resource is current?
|
Examples |
There have been significant changes in vaccination procedures in the last 5 years. Is the journal article newer than 2004? Are the resources quoted newer than 2004? During the SARS epidemic there were changes in information for professionals by the minute. What time of the day was this website for nurses updated? Information on Platonic philosophy does not date. Checking this website for currency is not important. |
Purpose |
Does the resource have a particular point of view or bias? Is the resource meant for a professional group? Is the resource meant for a particular academic field? |
Examples |
An academic article may be based on a particular theoretical perspective or paradigm which leads to a particular interpretation of results. Is that perspective/paradigm clearly stated? Professions often have specific schools of thought. Does the book clearly state which school the author adheres to? A research study may have been sponsered by the World Wildlife Fund. Has the author taken steps to ensure that the interpretation of the data is not influenced by the point of view of the funder? |
The Association of College and Research Libraries has put together this great resource explaining the many intricacies of copyright.