No Google Searches

When using the databases, 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.  

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

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

Examples:  

• ethic* will search for ethic, ethics, ethical
• experiment* will retrieve experiment, experiments, experimentation, experimenting, experimental, experimenter, experimenters
• vaccin* will search for vaccine, vaccines, vaccination, vaccinations, vaccinated, vaccinating

Notice the difference in the truncation below:

• racis* will retrieve racism, racist, racists, racistic
• racist* will retrieve racist, racists, racistic

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:

• "law enforcement"
• "community policing"

Search Example:

How can we improve on the search below for law enforcement careers?

 

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

1. law enforcement
2. careers

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

Notice in our first search attempt, we discover that Vocational Guidance is used as a Subject term to describe career guidance. Research is similar to detective work because you are looking for clues in your results so you can modify and improve your search. You should be scanning your results for clues such as useful search terms and issues that you might be able to incorporate into your research. Sometimes named people or organizations might lead to useful information.

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

Career* will search for career, careers

occupation* will search for occupation, occupations, occupational 

polic* will search for police, policing, but also policy, policies! It might be better to spell out police. 

4. Phrase searches. (Optional-only if you notice many false hits from words in your phrase)

Modify your searches above by using truncation and/or phrase searching;

• 'Community polic*" to retrieve community police, community policing  Be careful about truncating words like police. Polic* may bring up policies, policy. If you retrieve many results on community policies, you might have to spell out police and policing.
• defund* to retrieve defund, defunds, defunding, defunded
• "Law enforcement" to keep the words together as a phrase

Refining Your Search

You may add additional search terms to narrow your search.