When you perform a search from a research topic, follow these tips:
-
Select only the most important words and phrases from your topic. Don't include connecting words like "for" or "the," or words like "cause" or "effect" that could be a part of any topic statement.
-
Search for individual words and phrases, not sentences. Databases don't understand grammar.
-
Combine terms with AND to narrow your focus. To find info about fur on dogs, search: fur AND dogs.
-
Combine terms with OR to expand your focus. To find info about fur on either dogs or cats, search: fur AND (dogs OR cats).
Example: Using multiple boxes
In a database, if you were researching:
What is the effect on a dog's fur of eating fish
You could use the database search boxes to enter:
|
dogs |
| AND |
fur OR coat |
| AND |
fish OR seafood |
In other words:
- separate your main concepts into different boxes connected with AND
- add alternate keywords within a box using OR.
If you find too few results, try brainstorming new terms or making your topic more general (e.g. dogs --> pets).
