Shannon Frisbie
Search Strategizing Worksheet
Assignment #1: Develop a Search Strategy
Taking the time to formulate a search strategy before you begin your research can be
immensely helpful. You may refer to your strategy sheet throughout your search and adjust it
as needed. To practice this, create a strategy for a research topic that you are currently working
on in class. If you do not have a topic you may use the sample topic below. Save the completed
worksheet with your name in the filename (e.g. SmithStrategy.doc). Then upload the
document when you submit the quest.
Enter Your Topic Here: Is animal testing ethical?
Sample Topic : Do video games cause violence in teenagers?
What concepts define this topic? Identify three of the most important words or phrases. List
them below, along with some alternative keywords (synonyms, plurals, etc.).
Keyword #1
Keyword #2
Keyword #3
Animal
Testing
Ethical
Animals
Laboratories
Legal
Protection
Cruelty
Cosmetic
Commercial Products
Consider the background information that you might want to gather on this topic. Using the
library catalog, find a book that is owned by your library that would help you gain some insight
and establish a context for your topic. Explain why this book might be helpful in starting your
research.
Book title: Animal models : their value
Call #: 001545290
in predicting drug efficacy and toxicity. Online / Q 11 N5 V.1245 WWW
Science Library / Q 11 N5 V.1245
Why you chose this book:
I chose this book because it is about animal cruelty amongst the health and medical field.
This demonstrates that animal cruelty isn’t just done by Neanderthals for cosmetic purposes.
This book is about how doctors test animals for the benefit of cancer and medical research
which, is for the benefit of humans; however, is still animal testing and is by no means still
any more or less ethical than any other kind of animal testing.
Identify two subject-specific databases that might be relevant to your research topic.
Database #1:
http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.libproxy.albany.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=4&sid=bc874d70270a-4a1d-8b0b3bf1d12588c4%40sessionmgr4005&hid=4113&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#A
N=109384936&db=a9h
Database #2:
http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.libproxy.albany.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=5&sid=bc874d70270a-4a1d-8b0b3bf1d12588c4%40sessionmgr4005&hid=4113&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#A
N=83306651&db=a9h
Assignment #2: Apply Your Strategy to a Search:
Use your keywords (and any appropriate search strategies) to conduct a search in one of the
databases listed above OR in a multi-disciplinary database like Academic Search Complete. Find
one article that you think would be appropriate for your research. Paste the link to the article
into the form (look for the permalink or stable URL) and answer the questions below.
Title of article: Animal Testing.
URL of article:
http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.libproxy.albany.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=7&sid=bc874d70270a-4a1d-8b0b3bf1d12588c4%40sessionmgr4005&hid=4113&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#A
N=109384936&db=a9h
Database used: EBSCOhost
What search query led you to this article? (ex. Body image and media and women)
“Animal Testing”
What limiters did you use (if any)? (date of publication, format of article, subject area)
Why do you think this article will be useful for your research?
I think this article will be useful because it isA letter to the editor in response to an article
"Ending a Cruel Legacy" by Barbara J. King which was published in a previous issue of
“Scientific American”.
How might this article lead you to other articles that are relevant to your research? Take a look
at the subject terms that are listed for the article. Identify two subject terms that would be
useful to include in another search.
Subject term #1: Animal Experimentation
Subject term #2: Moral and Ethical aspects
Look at the bibliography or list of resources located at the end of the article. Identify a resource
from the list that would provide further insight into your research topic.
Title: Animal experimentation in forensic
sciences: How far have we come?
Author: Cattaneo, C.1
Maderna, E.1
Rendinelli, A.1
Gibelli, D.1
Now that you’ve identified another resource, why not search the title to see if it’s available
through your library? Continue to follow leads and your research will be well on its way!