Developed by Christy Gavin
2009
1. Write a clear statement about topic
2. Divide topic statement into concepts
3. Select words to express each concept
TV Violence
Does watching violent TV programs affect kids?
Divide Statement into Concepts
Does watching violent TV programs affect kids?
AND
racial
TV
violence
AND
kids
1. Write a clear statement about topic
2. Divide topic into concepts
3. Select words to express each concept
Select words to Express Concept
Does watching violent TV programs affect kids?
TV
OR
Television
Violence
OR
AND
Aggression
OR
Hostility
AND
Kids
OR
Children
OR
Juveniles
OR
Youth
Gambling
Many people claim that gambling increases criminal activity.
Many people claim that gambling increases criminal activity.
gambling
AND
crime
Many people claim that gambling increases criminal activity.
Gambling
OR
Gaming
OR
Casinos
AND
Crime
OR
Burglary
OR
Robbery
Many people claim that gambling increases criminal activity.
Gambling
OR
Gaming
OR
Casinos
AND
Murder
OR
Homicide
Write a Topic Statement
What types of treatment are available to teens
who have attempted suicide?
Divide Statement into Concepts
What types of treatment are available to teens
who have attempted suicide?
treatment
AND
teens
AND
suicide
Select words to Express Concept
What types of treatment are available to teens
who have attempted suicide?
treatment
OR
therapy
OR
psychotherapy
OR
counseling
AND
teens
OR
young adults
OR
adolescents
AND
suicide
OR
self-murder
OR
self-destruct
Synonyms/Closely Related Words
Hispanics: Latinos, Latinas, Mexican-Americans, Chicanos
________________________________________
Identify synonyms or closely related words for:
ads:
movies:
Children under the age of 5 years old:
Synonyms/Closely Related Words
ads: advertising, marketing, commercials
movies: films, motion pictures, cinema
Summary
1. Write a clear statement about topic
2. Divide topic statement into concepts
3. Select words to express each concept
4. Truncate appropriate words
Truncation retrieves all variant forms of a word.
Example: industry
Truncate:
Industr*
To truncate, use the asterisk
*
Truncate the following terms:
treatment
sexism
sexism: sexis*
includes: sexist, sexists, sexism
treatment: treat*
includes: treat, treats, treating, treated, treatment
Summary
1. Write a clear statement about topic
2. Divide topic statement into concepts
3. Select words to express each concept
4. Truncate appropriate words
If we cut off too much of a word, we may retrieve
other words that have nothing to do with our
subject.
Example: ag* retrieves any word in the database that
begins with “ag”
such as: age, against, agenda,
aggression
Truncation
If we don’t cut off enough, we may miss some forms
of the word.
Example: agriculture*
This truncated form will miss these forms of the word:
agricultural, agriculturally, agriculturalist
Boolean Search Statement
Are advertisements to blame for eating disorders?
eating disorders
advertisements
OR
marketing
AND
OR
bulima
OR
anorexia
Sample search in Academic Search Elite
Article Retrieved in Academic Search Elite
Article Citation
Relevant Article
“Discrimination against immigrants as a
function of applicant ethnicity, job type,
and raters' prejudice.”
Krings, Frank. Journal of Psychology. Dec
2007, Vol. 42 Issue 6, p406-417,
Abstract: This study examined the impact of
applicant ethnicity, job type, and prejudice
on evaluation biases and intentions to
interview in an experimental simulation.
Relevant Article Citation
TITLE: Principles of therapy: applications to suicide and trauma in
adolescents.
AUTHOR: Lenars, Andrew
SOURCE: Journal of Death Studies, v. 22 no.4 June 2007
p. 357-91.
ABSTRACT: The writers discuss the basic guiding principles of
therapy and its applications to suicide and trauma in adolescents. They
contend that these principles are heuristic and that there is no set
formula for dealing with traumatic events such as suicide.
Boolean Searching
1. Write a clear statement about topic
2. Divide topic statement into concepts
3. Select words to express each concept