Reed Library: Getting Started with Research @ Reed Library: Effective Search Strategies

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It is helpful to think about your search strategy before you start typing it into a database.
If you take a little extra time in the beginning, you will increase the amount and quality of relevant information you find.

Searching

After you’ve done some initial research and narrowed down your focus, it’s time to think about the keywords that describe your topic. It might sound simple, but finding the right combination of keywords to get the best results can be tricky. Taking a few minutes to brainstorm different terms upfront will save you time later.

Keep in mind that not all articles use the exact words. For example, one might refer to "teens," while another uses "young adults" or "adolescents." Since you can’t predict which terms an author will use, including related words and synonyms is important to ensure you don’t miss any relevant information.

Use the example below to guide you.

**Topic: Social Media and Mental Health**
Keyword	Related Word/Terms or Synonyms
Social Media	Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, Social Networking
Teen	Teenager, Adolescent, Young Adult, Youth
Mental Health	Anxiety, Depression, Wellbeing, Stress

After creating your lists of keywords and related terms/synonyms, combine them to make a search string.

Use the template and example below to guide you.

OR OR OR OR

AND

OR OR OR OR

AND

OR OR OR OR

The template above lets you copy each line and paste it directly into the search field of a database. For instance, if you’re using Academic Search Complete, your search would include all the keywords, Boolean operators, and related terms, as shown below.

Boolean operators allow you to connect your keywords together in a search to either narrow or broaden your set of results.

The three basic boolean operators are: AND, OR, and NOT.

Using AND

Always Narrows Down (your results)
Tells the database that ALL search terms must be present in the record

Example:
Ghost AND Scream Venn Diagram (middle section is highlighted)
Using OR

Connects two or more similar concepts (synonyms)
Broadens your results, tells the database that ANY of those search terms can be present in the record

Example:
Ghost OR Scream Venn Diagram (all sections are highlighted)

Using NOT

Excludes words from your search
Narrows your search down, telling the database to ignore concepts that may be implied by your search terms

Examples:
Scream NOT Ghost Venn Diagram (scream section is highlighted) Ghost NOT Scream Venn Diagram (ghost section is highlighted)

Truncation (stemming) is a technique that broadens your search to include various word endings and spellings.

To use truncation, enter the root of a word and put the truncation symbol at the end.
The database will return results that include any ending of that word.
Example: Educat* = Education, Educational, Educated, Educating, etc.
Truncation symbols may vary by database; common symbols include: *, !, ?, or #

Wildcards substitute a symbol for one letter of a word.

This can be useful for words with various spellings, but still have the same meaning
Examples:
- wom!n = woman, women
- colo?r = color, colour

Note: Truncation/wildcard symbols vary by database. Check the help screens to find out which symbols are used or ask a librarian for assistance.

When searching databases with your keywords, your topic may be too broad if you find too much information or too narrow if you do not find enough information. By refining your search, you can ensure that your topic is manageable.

Finding too much information?

Tighten your focus - your subject might be too broad
Try more keywords and use "AND".
- A search for football will have more results than Buffalo Bills or Josh Allen.
- Adding keywords will make your search more specific.
Add filters, such as date, availability, material, and peer-reviewed sources.

Not finding enough information?

Your topic may be too narrow - broaden it.
Try synonyms for your first keywords and use "OR".
Try fewer keywords.
- A search for women's representation in elementary picture books will have fewer results than a search for children's literature.
- Removing search terms will make your search more general.
Refine/expand your filters if they still fit within the scope of your assignment.