Tips & Tricks for Searching in Databases
Keyword Searching
Look to your thesis statement or research question for keywords and/or phrases that express your idea.
Two ways to approach researching your topic: Broad vs. Narrow
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BROAD
· Choose general but relevant search terms
· Think about related terms or synonyms
· Begin with one or two search terms
· Explore topics or subject terms
assigned by a database
Example:
“civil rights” = Broad
“freedom riders” = narrow
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NARROW
· Add additional keywords
· Choose narrower, more specific search terms
· Search for phrases by using “quotes”
· Use Filters: select item types, publication dates, etc.
Example:
Narrow = “National Organization for Women”
Broad = “second-wave feminism”
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