Moving from Research Question to Search Terms
Once you've developed a research question, you'll want to identify keywords and terms to search for more information. Although search technology continues to become more sophisticated, not all sources and sites can take your question as it is - so thinking about synonyms and alternative terms can help you search flexibly and effectively.
Developing Keywords from University of Houston (video, 1:28)
How to Search Using Keywords from University of Houston (video, 2:21)
How to Improve Your Search Terms by BrockLibrary (video, 3:36)
Constructing a good search can save you a lot of time and effort. By creating better searches, you can eliminate many irrelevant hits. The following search tips and strategies can help you find relevant articles.
Here are a few basic search tips you can use to get the best results:
Use the asterisk (*) to find all forms of a word. For example, smok* will find smoke, smokes, smoking, smoker and smokers.
Example: smok* and women and effects
AND
Combine search words with AND
Example: smok* AND women AND effects
To find articles that contain only the full text of an article and articles from scholarly or peer-reviewed journals, check these boxes when available.
Most library databases will have an advanced search option that allows you to search for terms found in either the title, subject, author, publication name or other portion of the article. This type of searching is more efficient since the words being searched have to appear in one of these areas (fields) to be included in the results list.
Combine your words with AND, OR, or AND NOT. In the example listed below, you would find articles on secondhand smoke and women excluding articles about pregnant women.
Example: secondhand smoke AND women NOT pregnant
This strategy lets you tell a database exactly where you want your keyword to be found.
Example: select Title when searching "secondhand smoke" to show only articles where the search term appears in the article title.
If you are still having problems finding information, try the following search strategies:
Try Different Wording (synonyms) - Think of different words that describe your topic.
Example: secondhand smoke Try: passive smoking
Try a Broader Search - Sometimes you might choose a topic that has little written about it. Try to think of a broader term that includes your topic. The more general the search, the more likely you'll get greater results.
Example: cigars Try: tobacco
Phrase Searching - Putting "quotes" around your search words tells the database that you are looking for that exact phrase.
Example: "secondhand smoke"