Advanced Search Tips

Getting frustrated? Not finding relevant sources? Here are some strategies to try when searching the databases.

No Google Searches

Many students make the mistake of using the same type of search strategies that they use in Google. They cram their keywords into one search box when Advanced search boxes are available. 

Search tips:

1. Separate your keywords into different search boxes by topic using the Advanced search boxes.

2. Combine synonyms or related terms by putting them in the same search box and combining them with OR.   

3. Truncate keywords to retrieve various endings for your search terms. Truncation is great for pulling up both singular and plurals of your word.

Examples:  

• satir* will search for satire, satirist, satirists, satirical
• comed* will retrieve comedy, comedies, comedian, comedians, comedic
• activis* will search for activism, activist, activists

4. Phrase searches. (Optional-only if you notice many false hits from words in your phrase) Usually, you won't need to do this, but you may put phrases in quotation marks to keep the words next to each other.

Example:

• "social aspects"
• "disparagement humor"

Search Example:

How can we improve on the search below to find information on humor's influence on politics?

1. Separate your keywords into different search boxes by topics using the ADVANCED SEARCH boxes.

• political knowledge
• humor or satire

2. Combine synonyms or related terms by putting them in the same search box and combining them with OR.   

• political knowledge or political campaigns or political ideology or politics
• humor or satire or comedy or irony

OR 

• knowledge or campaigns or ideology
• politics
• humor or satire or comedy or irony

3. Truncate your words to retrieve various endings of your search term. Truncation is great for pulling up both singular and plurals of your word.

• knowledge or campaign* or ideolog*
• politic*
• humor or satir* or comed* or irony

Examples:

• ideolog* will search for ideology, ideological 
• politic* will search for politic, politics, politician, politicians, political
• Don't use iron*  to try to search for irony and ironic because you might get results relating to the metal iron. 

Here is one example of a possible search, but there is no one correct way to search for a topic. You will have to re-combine your keywords and try different searches. 

Here is another example of a search focusing on the activism aspect:

Keep looking at your results, particularly the subjects, for other keywords you can integrate into your searches to focus and narrow your results.

4. Phrase searches. This is optional. Only use quotation marks if you notice many false hits from words in your phrase. Usually, you won't need to do this, but you may put phrases in quotation marks to keep the words next to each other.

Examples:

• "Daily Show"
• "Jon Stewart" (Note: Jon Stewart was hosting the Daily Show for many more years than Trevor Noah, so there are more studies relating to his years as host. Since Trevor Noah is the current host, studies might be going on now.)

Perseverance and Patience

Like any detective, you might have to try to follow many different trails. Try various search combinations! Research will require patience, critical thinking, perseverance, and a sharp eye for clues.

As you view the results of your research, your ideas for the content of your essay will evolve as you discover research findings, author points of view, and previously unknown aspects of your topic. Don't be like the grumpy TV police commander who wants to focus on one suspect (the wrong one) just to close the case quickly. He will only look at partial evidence and hearsay then arrest the wrong person because of his preconceived notions.

You should be open to findings that contradict what you previously believed, see patterns that you hadn't known about like a thorough, successful detective who captures the right criminal in the end. If you find yourself with a list of arguments that you thought of before doing any research and you're trying to unsuccessfully force your research findings to fit your preconceived ideas, maybe you need to re-think your hypothesis and look at the evidence in front of you. The successful researchers/detectives will follow the research trail results and see where it leads them. 

Maybe you discover that there are age differences in appreciation of humor....