#1 - Identify the main ideas in your research question or thesis statement to be tested.
#2 - Jot down similar, related, broader, and narrower terms for the main ideas.
#3 - Apply search terms using the advanced search option (the link is under the basic search box).
Click through the slides below for examples:
| NARROW results | BROADEN results |
|
Adding new concepts with AND connector [ food waste ] AND [ consumer education ] |
Adding similar or related concepts with OR connector [ recycling OR reusing ] |
|
Search for terms in SUBJECT or TITLE [ food industrial waste ] in [ SU Subject Terms ] |
Search for terms in ALL TEXT [ "centralized composting" ] in [ TX All Text ] |
|
Search for multiple words as a phrase with " " "consumer education" |
Search for all variant endings of a word with the * symbol recycl* searches for: recycle, recycled, recycling |
|
Apply database limiters to group results by a particular: DATE RANGE SOURCE or PUBLICATION TYPE SUBJECT (what article is about) DISCIPLINE (jstor) GEOGRAPHY |
DELETE a search term to widen focus [ composting ] instead of [ centralized composting ]
Replace a search term with a BROADER term [ social media ] instead of [ facebook ] |
If you are starting your research with a general topic instead of a specific question, consider narrowing your focus by one or more of the following:
Examples for the topic: mental health
Possible search terms and similar terms:
Applied in an advanced search:
Note: brackets represent search bars
[ mental health or depression or anxiety ]
AND [ discrimination or prejudice ]
AND [ lgbtq ]