ODU Libraries, Information Literacy Modules -- Module 3 -- September 2013
SEARCHING for Information
Option: Print Module 3
By now you've learned that there are many different types of information. But how do you find them? Search tools exist for this purpose. Unfortunately there is not one place
you can go for everything. What tool you use depends on what source you want/need.
When using search tools to find information, various techniques can make your search more efficient and effective.
This module introduces the search tools that will help you identify useful information sources and the techniques that will make your search easier. It focuses specifically on
the tools and techniques you will use for writing research papers.
Learning Outcomes
After completing this module, you will be able to:
explain the basic differences between the Deep Web and the Open Web
determine what type of search tool to use for which type of source -- databases, search engines, library catalogs, digital libraries
demonstrate a basic understanding of types of databases.
describe how search engines work
write an effective search statement using various techniques including:
demonstrate the use of Boolean operators AND and OR
demonstrate truncation of search terms
demonstrate an understanding of both subject and keyword searching
identify and use limit features to refine a search
apply various search statements and different terminology using different search tools
Types of Search Tools
Search tools either directly provide access to the information source you need (full text publication) or provide information to help you find a source (i.e., a reference).
Unfortunately, there is not just one tool for all sources.
Google is a search tool, but it is not the only one. Some examples of search tools you will use for identifying print and/or electronic sources are:
Library Catalogs for identifying books and other library materials
Databases for identifying journal articles
Web Search Engines (including Google) for identifying Web sites
This section will review various search tools, beginning with an introduction to the Open Web vs. the Deep Web.
Open Web vs. Deep (Invisible) Web
The Open Web is also referred to as the "Surface Web" or "Visible Web." Search engines (such as Google or Yahoo) provide access to the Open Web, which includes Web
sites and pages that are freely available to the public. But, according to some estimates:
"Approximately 80% of the information on the Web belongs to the 'invisible Web'."
List-Handley, C. J. (2008) Information literacy and technology.
4th ed. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt, p. 36.
Library databases are part of the "Invisible" or "Deep" Web. Like most libraries, ODU purchases subscriptions to these usually-costly resources for our primary users -including you.
For academic research, it is always best if you begin with library resources, for several reasons:
Open Web
Deep Web (Library Resources)
Sources have not been reviewed or evaluated; anything goes
Sources and search tools have been reviewed and recommended by
experts
Identity and credentials of the author or creator are often
unavailable
Sources are more likely to have been written or developed by experts,
who are identified
Open to anyone, anywhere
Resources are intended for a specific academic community
Little organization and limited searching features; information
may or may not be updated
Databases and other resources are better-organized, updated, and
offer various advanced features
Web sites can come and go; not always stable and usually not
archived
Most resources are a permanent part of our collection
Think about it ...
You may know that Government Resources are among the useful research sources to consult. Which part of the Web do you think they would fall under -- Deep or
Open?
Click here
Catalogs
Library catalogs
Library catalogs are primarily used for identifying and locating books (print or electronic) and
other materials in a particular library’s collection.
ODU's library catalog provides access to books, videos, microforms, government publications
(since 1990), and most journals (but not journal articles!).
You may be too young to remember, but library catalogs
used to be "card catalogs" with a card for each item in the
library.
You need to use databases to identify the articles within the journals.
ODU's journal titles are also searchable from the "Find Journals & Newspapers" option on the
ODU Libraries Web site. This is the better option because it will list all electronic journals as
well as print.
It is important to remember that neither the library catalog nor the "Find Journals
& Newspapers" page includes article titles, only the JOURNAL TITLES.
Then...
ODU Library Catalog
To search just the ODU Library Catalog, click ODU Only Catalog on the library's homepage.
Now...
Watch this 3-minute video tutorial about the basics of searching the catalog.
Discovery Tool
The Discovery Tool on the library's home page (since Fall 2013) searches the library catalog as well as articles and other materials in many of our databases (including
Academic Search Complete). It is a good first place to go when you want to find books and articles, but you should also check our subject-specific databases if you aren't
finding what you need, or if you want to be more comprehensive.
A quick search for self-presentation and facebook results in 1,628 items. Use the Refine options on the left to narrow your search. You'll notice we didn't get any books
and that the oldest publication is 2006 -- this is because of the currency of this topic.
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the article "".
WorldCat
WorldCat, also available from the library's homepage, is a tool for finding materials in the catalogs of thousands of worldwide libraries. It is an excellent database for
identifying and obtaining book and audiovisual materials that are not available at the ODU Libraries. You can find out what library owns a particular item, and in most cases,
you can get that item easily through our Interlibrary Loan service.
Here is a sample record:
Databases
According to the American Heritage Dictionary, a database is "a comprehensive collection of related data organized for convenient access, generally in a computer." In the
library world,the term database refers to the search tools used primarily for identifying resources. Databases can include scholarly materials such as journal articles, books,
and dissertations, as well as newspapers, magazines, film, images, music, and more. The databases libraries provide are usually either multidisciplinary (covering many
subjects) or subject-specific (focusing on one subject area).
TIP: When looking for journal articles, one of the databases you should get to know is Academic Search Complete. Some of the
benefits:
It covers all topics.
It primarily includes articles.
You can limit to scholarly articles.
Many articles will be available in full text.
It includes materials back to 1887.
Google Scholar
scholar.google.com
Google Scholar is a search tool provided by Google that includes materials "from academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories, universities and other
scholarly organizations."
Similar to Google, your results will often be huge. Don't be tempted to just take the first few articles -- you need to evaluate your results to find the best articles. There are
many ways to narrow a search in Google Scholar. The video below will show you some of them.
You can configure Google Scholar to link to the full-text publications that are included in ODU's collection of journals. If there is no full-text link, you should still double-check
ODU's holdings. The video below will also show you how to configure Google Scholar.
Some of the limitations of Google Scholar include:
While it is multidisciplinary, it is much heavier in sciences and not as good for humanities and social sciences.
It will not include as many items per subject as our library's subject-specific databases.
The capabilities for searching, limiting, sorting, printing are not as sophisticated as our library's databases.
Not everything will be freely available in fulltext
Strange, unexplainable things can happen!!
TIP: Google Scholar might be a good starting point when you need a multidisciplinary database, but you should
also use one of the many databases provided by the ODU Libraries.
Watch this 6-minute video tutorial to configure Google Scholar for ODU's journals and for
some tips on how to search.
Selecting a Database
Although the databases we are referring to here are primarily for finding journal articles, keep in mind that many of them will provide access to other materials (books, book
chapters, dissertations, conference proceedings, etc.).
Most topics fall into 3 major categories of knowledge: sciences, social sciences, humanities. The library's "Find Databases A-Z" page, which provides the tools for finding
journal articles and other materials, breaks these disciplines down further, based on the disciplines taught at ODU.
Selecting one of these categories will help you find the database/s that most fit your needs. For some topics, you may want to look in more than one category or use a
multidisciplinary database. A topic within criminal justice, for example, would fall under Social Sciences. But it may also involve Psychology (criminal behavior) or Education
(juvenile delinquents and school). In this case it becomes an interdisciplinary topic.
NOTE: It is important to note that the databases listed by subject under "Find Databases A-Z" will include all of the databases the library
subscribes to, not just the journal databases. It's a good place to go if you already know what database you need -- just use the alphabetical
listing.
USE SUBJECT GUIDES: If you are looking for journal articles only, you should select the Subject Guides link on the Library's web site. Librarians created these
guides to make it easier to decide which database to use, depending on what you need. Select the subject guide appropriate to your topic, and then click on the Articles tab
to identify the best databases for finding articles in your research area.
Click on the image to find a Subject Guide in your major.
Get to Know the Databases
The first step is to read the annotations on the Databases page. Here is an example:
Things to look for:
Subject Scope:
Some databases are subject-specific and focus on one or just a few subject areas:
Example: CINAHL covers nursing, medicine, allied health disciplines
while others have a broader scope:
Example: Science Citation Index (through Web of Science) covers all science areas.
and some are multidisciplinary and cover all subject areas:
Example: Academic Search Complete.
Also, the contents of databases can overlap somewhat, especially for interdisciplinary topics where a journal may be covered by several
databases.
Material Types Covered:
Some databases index a variety of materials (PAIS International indexes journal articles, books, reports, government publications), while others
may index only journals (Web of Science) or only images (AP Images).
The materials may be of a popular nature (magazine or news features) or may be scholarly (refereed or peer-reviewed journals);
some databases cover both.
The database may include indexing plus access to the full text of articles. Many may include only a small percentage of full-text
(e.g., MLA International Bibliography) and will be indicated with "Selected Fulltext."
Time Range:
Because most electronic publishing began in the 1980s, many databases will not index materials published before then. This is gradually
changing as more publishers are digitizing older issues.
For example: PAIS Archive dates back to 1915; PubMed back to 1950; ERIC (education) back to 1966.
And, remember, when selecting JSTOR as a full text journal collection, be aware that JSTOR generally will not include the most
recent 3-5 years of journals.
Geographic Orientation:
Many of our databases focus on materials published in the U.S.; however, others will include materials published in other countries. For example,
Medline includes article citations from biomedical journals from all over the world.
If the database originates in another country, there may be some language variations in searching.
For example, when searching INSPEC, a physics and engineering database, it is important to consider British spellings: colour,
analyse, centre, metre, catalogue, etc.
Access Restrictions:
The majority of databases listed on the library's Databases pages are paid for through library subscription or through VIVA (the Virtual Library of
Virginia) and must be restricted to ODU users. A notation will indicate this: "Restricted to VIVA/ODU." Click here for a fuller explanation.
Activity: Selecting a Database
The following are three database descriptions from the ODU Library's "Databases" page under "Arts & Humanities." Review each one and answer the questions below.
Question 1: For each of the databases, indicate whether you would use the database to find books on art. [Place a Y (yes) or N (no)in the box.]
AP Images -Art Full Text -ARTbibliographies Modern -Question 2: For each of the databases, indicate whether you would use the database to find an article about Andy Warhol written in the 1970s. [Place a Y (yes) or N
(No)in the box.]
AP Images -Art Full Text -ARTbibliographies Modern --
Question 3: For each of the databases, indicate whether you would be able to use the database if you didn't go to ODU. [Place a Y (yes) or N (No)in the box.]
AP Images -Art Full Text -ARTbibliographies Modern -Submit
It can be very helpful to read the database description before you jump in!
Your Turn
Using the library's Web site, click "Find Databases A-Z" and select 2 databases from the subject listing that you think would be useful for finding scholarly journal
articles on your topic.
Then, go to the "Subject Guides" page, select a subject, and then select an appropriate database for finding scholarly journal articles on your topic.
Which did you find more helpful?
Why did you select the databases you did?
Database Structures
It is important to understand how library databases are structured so that you can more efficiently access the information located in them. Let's review some of the
terminology: Databases, Records, Fields, Search Systems
DATABASES
As we just learned, a DATABASE is "a comprehensive collection of related data organized for convenient access."
RECORDS
Like most databases, the data in library databases is organized into RECORDS for each entry.
The database may contain records based on format, for example:
citation information for journal articles or books
tables of contents
datasets of statistical information
directory information
subject terms
abstract of article
FIELDS
The records in a database are made up of FIELDS, such as Author, Article title, Journal title, Publication date, Page number, etc.
NOTE: Just because the full text of an article may not be available in one database does not mean it is not available
elsewhere through ODU Libraries.
Search Systems
Most of the databases available to ODU students are part of a larger SEARCH SYSTEM (aka, Database Package, Database Provider, Database Vendor). At ODU
Libraries, the larger search systems are:
EBSCOhost
ProQuest
Web of Knowledge
Gale Cengage
Each search system provides its own interface for searching. This interface will look the same across the databases included within the system, but each database may be
different enough in content and design to require some different approaches to searching.
While each search system presents its own method of searching and display screens, there are always common elements across the systems:
basic field types (title, author, year, etc)
basic and advanced search options
help options
The more information in the record, the easier it is for you to decide if you wish to pursue the item.
NOTE: Remember that although clicking on the "Find Databases A-Z" link from the library's Web page is the usual way to find
ODU databases, another useful way to identify appropriate databases for finding articles is to look at the guides under Subject
Guides on the Library's web site. Select the subject guide most useful to your topic for help in finding the most useful databases in
your research area.
Activity: Sample Records
Below are examples of brief and full records from 3 different databases on 3 different search systems for the same article citation.
1. Sociological Abstracts database through ProQuest
2. Academic Search Complete database through EBSCOhost
3. MLA International Bibliography through Gale Cengage.
After reviewing the records, answer the questions below.
Sample Record 1 - ProQuest
SEARCH SYSTEM: ProQuest
DATABASE: Sociological Abstracts
BRIEF RECORD:
FULL RECORD:
Sample Record 2 - EBSCOhost
SEARCH SYSTEM: EBSCOhost
DATABASE: Academic Search Complete
BRIEF RECORD:
FULL RECORD:
Sample Record 3 - Web of Knowledge
SEARCH SYSTEM: Web of Knowledge
DATABASE: Social Science Citation Index
BRIEF RECORD:
FULL RECORD:
Questions about Samples
Which record/s include a link to the number of times the item has been cited and the number of references included?
Record 1
Record 2
Record 3
Show Feedback
In which record/s can you find out where the author teaches/researches?
Record 1
Record 2
Record 3
Show Feedback
Search Engines
The Web is constantly growing and has made all types of information easily accessible to computer users -- some of it reliable, and some of it questionable.
Research-oriented web sites often contain data and textbook-type information in addition to scholarly reports and articles. Google Scholar also provides citations to scholarly
articles.
In this section we are talking about the "Open Web," which contains Web sites that are freely available for input and for viewing. While the Internet has improved scholarly
communication and information dissemination, it is important to realize that there is no single body or organization that owns or manages the Web. The sites
and the information available are not "peer-reviewed" (as are articles in refereed journals). Because it is so easy to publish information on the Internet, wading through the millions of pages out there to find reliable sources can be difficult. Evaluating those
sources is essential.
Who publishes information on the Web?
Look at the domain extension:
.edu -- educational institutions
.gov -- government agencies
.mil -- military entities
Other domain extensions are not restricted:
.uk (United Kingdom) .ja (Japan) .ca (Canada) -- and many other country sites
.org -- nonprofit organizations
.net -- network infrastructures
.com -- commercial sites
NOTE: The last three of these domain extensions began with an intended purpose but are now available to
any person or organization for any use.
Unlike the library's catalog of its materials, there is no catalog of all Internet resources. Search engines and subject directories can help you in locating Web
resources. Search engines will get you to many good Web sites and many bad ones--to current news and information, to company and organization Web sites, to many
opinions (both expert and far-from-expert), and to anything that anyone wants to put there.
Google is where many people start and end, but there are many other search engines, and there is no one search engine that indexes all Web
sites.
Which do you use?
The top 5 Web search engines according to usage statistics from searchenginewatch.com are: Google, Yahoo, Bing, AOL, and Ask.com.
Top 10 Search Providers for August 2009, Ranked
by Searches (U.S.)
Search Provider
Searches
(000)
Total
10,812,734
Google
Yahoo
Month-on- Share of
Month
Searches
Growth (%)
(%)
2.9
100
6,986,580
2.6
64.6
1,726,060
-4.2
16
MSN/WindowsLive/Bing
1,156,415
22.1
10.7
AOL
333,231
1.8
3.1
Ask.com
186,270
2.9
1.7
Source: Nielsen MegaView Search
http://searchenginewatch.com/3634991
How do Search Engines Work?
The following explanation is from UCBerkeley's Tutorial on Search Engines (retrieved February 2010). Bolding has been added.
How do Search Engines Work?
Search engines do not really search the World Wide Web directly. Each one searches a database of web pages that
it has harvested and cached by that company. When you use a search engine, you are always searching a somewhat
stale copy of the real web page. When you click on links provided in a search engine's search results, you retrieve the
current version of the page.
Search engine databases are selected and built by computer robot programs called spiders. These "crawl" the
web, finding pages for potential inclusion by following the links in the pages they already have in their database. If a web page is never linked from any other page, search engine spiders cannot find it. The only way a brand new
page can get into a search engine is for other pages to link to it, or for a human to submit its URL for
inclusion. All major search engines offer ways to do this.
After spiders find pages, they pass them on to another computer program for "indexing." This program identifies the
text, links, and other content in the page and stores it in the search engine database's files so that the database can
be searched by keyword and whatever more advanced approaches are offered, and the page will be found if your
search matches its content.
Many web pages are excluded from most search engines by policy. The contents of most of the searchable databases
mounted on the web, such as library catalogs and article databases, are excluded because search engine
spiders cannot access them. All this material is referred to as the "Invisible Web" -- what you don't see in search
engine results.
How do they rank results?
It depends on the search engine. Some ways that results are ranked:
by how many times the sites are linked from other sites (popularity)
Google uses this method.
One of the reasons Wikipedia comes up in the top 5 results is that Wikipedia cites all of its own articles – many times.
by the number of times the word appears in the page, with the header information getting more weight
by the amount the site pays to be listed (sponsors)
Web developers learn how to make their sites rise to the top of search engine results. This is important for business and commercial sites who are trying to generate
revenue.
Below is chart which shows the results of a search across various search engines. Topic: road rage.
Comparison of Four Search Engines on the search for "road rage"
Results from Fall 2012
Notice the number of duplicate entries, indicated by color. Wikipedia and RoadRagers.com are among the sites hit the most.
Watch a video of how Google works -"If you want to get found in the search engines or want to
improve your page rank you need to have a
basic understanding of how search engines work."
Wikipedia
We mentioned that one of the reasons Wikipedia comes up in the top 5 results for most searches is that Wikipedia cites all of its own articles – many times.
Dentistry, which is a part of stomatology, is the branch of medicine that is involved in the evaluation, diagnosis, prevention, and
surgical or non-surgical treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and
associated structures and their impact on the human body.[2] Dentistry is widely considered necessary for complete overall health.
Those who practice dentistry are known as dentists. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services, which includes
dental assistants, dental hygienists, dental technicians, and dental therapists.
This short paragraph contains 10 citations to other Wikipedia articles.
More about Wikipedia...
Wikipedia can be useful as an encyclopedia for gathering background information on a topic and for gathering terminology to use in your search. But, you always want to
refer to more legitimate sources for your research.
If you read Wikipedia's Disclaimers, you will understand why you don't want to cite Wikipedia as a legitimate source of information.
WIKIPEDIA MAKES NO GUARANTEE OF VALIDITY
…The structure of the project allows anyone with an Internet connection to alter its content. Please be advised that nothing found here
has necessarily been reviewed by people with the expertise required to provide you with complete, accurate or reliable information.
That is not to say that you will not find valuable and accurate information in Wikipedia; much of the time you will.
However, Wikipedia cannot guarantee the validity of the information found here. The content of any given article may recently have been
changed, vandalized or altered by someone whose opinion does not correspond with the state of knowledge in the relevant fields.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:General_disclaimer
Using Search Engines
Google is the most popular and sophisticated search engine. It employs mathematical algorithms to ensure that the most relevant sites are listed first.
Some tips for using Google:
use quotation marks around a phrase to search those words together
if you enter more than one word, your results will include records with all of the word, but not necessarily near each other -- this is similar to typing AND
you may use OR to search synonyms
you may use the plus (+) symbol before the key word in the search box to be sure the word is included in every site; a minus (-) sign will exclude it
(e.g., "Virginia Henderson" +nursing)
Google uses automatic truncation -- enter a word, and results will include variants of that word
you may limit by domain extension, date, language
Google is not case-sensitive, but you may use capital letters for names and other appropriately capitalized words
All search engines are different. Use the HELP features of each one for the best results.
Google's advice: Keep it simple!
Remember that even though the Internet has some valuable information in the form of electronic journals, government reports, data from educational and
research sites, you need to be very careful to evaluate the Web sites you find.
Watch this video of an advanced search using Google.
Using Meta Search Engines
Meta Search Engines combine results from multiple search engines.
When you enter a search term into Dogpile, for you will be searching Google, Yahoo, Bing, Ask, About, MIVA, LookSmart and others.
Yippy! (formerly Clusty) scans different search engines and provides a clustering by topics within the results. It also provides details about the numbers of
items from the different search engines.
ZapMeta is another metasearch engine to try. It combines results from Yahoo, Microsoft Bing, Cuil, Gigablast, Altavista, Entireweb etc. It includes narrower
topics and an easy way to limit by domain type.
There are many other meta search engines (Mamma.com, Surfwax.com, Ixquick.com, etc).
Since Google is the largest search engine, it might be useful to search Google first and then try ZapMeta or Yippy! to cover results from other
search engines.
Using Subject Directories
While search engines can be a more direct route to finding specific pieces of information, subject directories are good
for finding general information about a topic. Internet subject directories are compiled and maintained by humans
(sometimes, even librarians!) rather than by automation. They evaluate and select useful web sites to include in the
directory.
The Yahoo directory is one of the earliest and most familiar examples of an Internet subject directory.
It is arranged by broad category.
Under HEALTH, you will find NURSING:
Under NURSING, you find a further breakdown with useful Web sites below:
While you are in the directory, Yahoo allows you to perform keyword searching within the current category you have chosen, or the entire Web.
Keep in mind that many other search engines provide Subject Directories, including Google.
Search Engines with a Scholarly Focus
Some search engines have an academic audience as their focus. They use people, rather than spiders and robots, to evaluate and gather Web sites. For example,
"Librarians’ Index to the Internet" and "Infomine" use editors to select the websites based on their academic usefulness.
Generally, the academic search engines don’t accept sponsored sites.
Some you might want to be familiar with are:
Infomine: a directory of scholarly search engines.
Scout Report Archives: extensive list of carefully selected Web sites and mailing lists by subject with critical annotations
Academic Info: Browse or search for Internet resources that are directed toward an academic audience.
Internet Public Library: Use "Resources by Subject" to find many quality Internet resources on your topic.
Yahoo and Google both have subject directories that can provide useful, academic Internet resources.
You will also find web sources on the library Subject Guide for your topic.
Other Search Tools: for Government Documents
Some government documents may be found through the tools listed above (catalogs, databases, search engines), but there are other tools as well:
Monthly Catalog of US Government Publications 1895-1976 (online): for government publications published before 1976
Catalog of US Government Publications (online): for publications 1976-present
See the Find Government Information subject guide for more in-depth information.
for Finding Digital Objects/Collections
These materials are trickier – search tools are under development. The major collections are accessible through Internet search engines and directories (e.g., Yahoo's
Subject Directory, under "Digital Libraries > Projects and Collections" ), and some through the library catalog and WorldCat.
There are other search tools:
OAIster (accessible from the library's Databases page) is a specialized database that:
contains digital resources from open archive collections
represents multidisciplinary resources from more than 1000 contributors worldwide.
contain a digital object link allowing users access to the object in a single click.
AcademicInfo: "Digital Libraries - Online Publications, Exhibits, Documents & Journals" : Extensive and growing subject listing of digital collections and
exhibits.
Library and Archival Exhibitions on the Web "This site features links to online exhibitions that have been created by libraries, archives, and historical
societies, as well as to museum online exhibitions with a significant focus on library and archival materials."
Many of the "Subject Guides" on the Library's Web site will link to various Web Resources that contain digital collections.
for Finding Archival Collections
Some useful tools for finding Archival Collections are:
ArchiveGrid is a database that allows you to search for historical documents, personal papers, and family histories held in archives around the world.
Thousands of libraries, museums, and archives have contributed collection descriptions to ArchiveGrid.
Repositories of Primary Sources -- "a listing of over 5000 websites describing holdings of manuscripts, archives, rare books, historical photographs, and
other primary sources for the research scholar"
Virginia Heritage is a union database of finding aids to archival and manuscripts collections in twenty-seven Virginia repositories.
Activity
Which Search Tool?
Check yourself to see if you understand which search tool finds which source.
Choose which tool on the left you would use to find the information sources on the right by placing the appropriate letter in the boxes. There can be several right
answers, but just select one.
a - Google
ODU books
b - Databases
Government publications pre-1976
c - WorldCat Local
Digital primary sources
d - Monthly Catalog
Organization Web sites
e - OAIster
Scholarly journal articles
f - "Find Journals & Newspapers"
2001 Wall Street Journal
g - Library Catalog
Books or journals not at ODU
Submit
Activity
True-False Question
Select True or False for the following statement about finding journal articles.
The ODU Library Catalog lists articles from journals.
True
False
Search Techniques
Now that we've reviewed some of the major search tools, it will be helpful to know how to use them effectively to find the specific information you want.
The following pages explain various techniques to make your search easier and more effective. Just remember that there is never one right way to search. You can pick and
choose which techniques might best work for you and your topic.
Identify Concepts and Keywords
One of the most useful techniques to start with is to identify the main concepts and keywords of your topic.
Consider this topic for a 10-page research paper:
What is the relationship between bullying and suicide among teenagers?
If you type this topic into a database search box in this exact way, there is a chance that you will come up with nothing. That is because you would be
searching via natural language, and for the most part, natural language searches are not successful in databases. Databases search for strings of characters;
they do not necessarily interpret what you mean. Most databases will try to find records with these words in this exact order but will often not retrieve useful
results. Even if you do luck out and get a few results, are they all the results? The best results? Probably not.
Let's try this search in the Academic Search Complete database:
What is the relationship between bullying and suicide among teenagers?
View Results (0)
Note: Your initial search query did not yield any results. However, using SmartText Searching,
results were found based on your keywords. [2,951]
* We selected the Academic Search Complete database (multidisciplinary) because our topic may be in
psychology, sociology, health-related, or education areas, and we need scholarly sources.
Other search issues to keep in mind:
Articles (a, an, the) and prepositions (in, to, for, etc) are rarely used as search terms. Rather, they are considered stop words and ignored by the
computer, primarily because the results for searching common words would be overwhelming.
There are other types of words that are not always good to use in a search because there can be so many other ways to express them -For example, "effect" can be "outcomes," "consequences," "results," "impact," etc.
Some words may already be implicit in a particular database -- for example, using the word "psychology" in a psychology database, or "education" in an
education database may be unnecessary.
So, you need to be flexible. The best way to search is to break down your topic into searchable components and include useful synonyms:
bullying
suicide
teenagers
harassment
self harm
teens
cyberbullying
adolescents
aggression
young adults
Suggestions for finding keywords and synonyms:
1. Use dictionary.com -- both the dictionary and the thesaurus portion.
2. Use a graphical dictionary such as: http://www.visuwords.com/ Just type a keyword in the search box, and Visuwords will
provide synonyms, definitions, and associations with other words and concepts. You can then click on those other words to
expand the "tree" or "neural network." Try it -- it's fun!
3. In a database, you can use the thesaurus (more later).
4. As you explore your topic, jot down the keywords used in your readings, whether it be an encyclopedia or a journal article.
Remember that you are searching for concepts: the terminology and words you use to describe those concepts can vary and may change as you search.
Boolean Operators
Once you have identified key concepts in your search, you will need to combine them. Boolean operators AND, OR, and NOT can be used in most databases and many
search engines to combine your search terms depending on whether you want to broaden or narrow your search.
AND - finds all records which include both
words/phrases
bullying and teenagers
Use AND to narrow your results.
OR - finds all records which include either or both
words/phrases (use with synonyms)
teenagers or adolescents
Use OR to broaden your results.
***** AND is grand, but OR is more!! *****
You may also combine AND and OR:
bullying
and
teenagers or adolescents
Many search systems (usually in Advanced Search mode) provide boxes to separate your search terms:
But, you can combine your terms on one line as well. It's up to you.
NOTE: When using AND and OR in the same statement, use parentheses to put terms into logical groupings (as in this Basic Search box).
The database combines the terms in the parentheses first, and then combines those with the rest of the search terms. Without the parentheses, the computer
may interpret your statement in an erroneous way:
bullying and adolescents or teenagers
Think about it ...
What results would you get with the statement -- bullying and adolescents or teenagers ?
Click here
There's still another Boolean Operator we haven't mentioned -- NOT
NOT finds records which include one term but not the other
Use NOT with caution! You may exclude valuable records that include both words.
teenagers not children -- this would exclude records that include teenagers and children
Sample Search using Boolean Operators
Remember when we tried to search our topic word-for-word?
S1
What is the relationship between bullying and suicide among teenagers?
Results: (0)
Now, let's try to search with Boolean Operators:
S2
bullying and suicide and (teenagers or adolescents)
Results:
(108)
S3
(bullying or harassment or cyberbullying) and suicide and (teenagers or teens or
adolescents or adolescence)
(127)
Boolean Searching in Search Engines
Some search engines use symbols or all caps instead of words for their Boolean operations, but nearly all search engines are different:
AND = In Google and Yahoo a space between two words assumes AND.
If you use AND in Yahoo, it must be capitalized.
In other search engines, the + (plus sign) immediately before the second word: universities +norfolk will serve as the AND
Note: In Google, the + immediately before a word means you want that exact word -- without the +, Google
automatically searches synonyms.
OR = Google and Yahoo require all caps when using OR.
In Google, the |(pipe sign) also indicates OR.
NOT = In Yahoo, NOT must be capitalized
- (minus sign) is a symbol many search engines use. In Google, the - must be placed immediately before the word/s you want to
exclude: automobiles -trucks -vans
TIP: It's always good to check HELP screens -- whether you're using a database or
a search engine.
Truncation and Wildcards
A very useful technique for expanding your search results is to search by the root of a word. This is called truncation.
Truncation is useful for finding variations in the ending of a word (plurals, variant spellings, multiple suffixes).
Examples:
comput* = compute, computer, computers, computerization, etc
librar* = library, libraries, librarian, librarians, etc
child* = child, children, childhood, etc
Keep in mind that not all databases allow truncation, and not all that do allow it will use the asterisk for truncation. Always check the HELP
screens.
Truncating is very useful, but you need to think about what other words you might get. Be careful not to truncate too soon.
For example, if you want to find variations of the word "marriage," where would you put the truncation symbol?
marriage
marry
marries
marital
Think about it ...
If you thought mar* you are right. But, what other words might you get with the root mar*?
Click here
Sample Search using Truncation
S1
What is the relationship between bullying and suicide among teenagers?
Results: (0)
S2
bullying and suicide and (teenagers or adolescents)
Results:
(108)
S3
(bullying or harassment or cyberbullying) and suicide and (teenagers or teens or adolescents or
adolescence)
Results:
(127)
Now, let's try using truncation:
S4
(bully* or harass* or cyberbully*) and suicid* and (teen* or adolescen*)
Results: (166)
Wildcards
Similar to using truncation at the end of a word root, wildcards allow you to adjust for variations in spelling within a word -- again, this broadens your search.
Not all search systems allow for wildcard symbols within a word. But many do. A ? (question mark) is a common wildcard symbol to replace one character:
wom?n = woman or women
Because all systems are different, and change from time to time, it is a good idea to check the online HELP screens to find out what kinds of truncation are possible and
what symbols should be used.
Phrases and Word Proximity
Let's say you are looking for articles about women athletes. If you type two words together ( women athletes ) in most databases and search engines, you will be searching
for all records that contain these words as a phrase (but not necessarily in this order).
Some databases and search engines, however, will automatically insert the Boolean operator AND and will find all records with the word women and the word athletes, not
necessarily together as a phrase.
For example, search WorldCat for items with the phrase women athletes in the title. You will find 450 books, the first one of which is:
Public heroes, private felons : athletes and crimes against women /
Author: Benedict, Jeff.
Publication: Boston : Northeastern University Press, 1997.
Is this about women athletes?
Again, databases for the most part do not interpret what you mean; they look for strings of characters.
If you get unexpected results when trying to search for a phrase, you can try putting quotation marks around the phrase to make sure that the system understands it as
such, e.g., "women athletes".
In our WorldCat example above, a search for titles with the phrase "women athletes" will find 244 books, all of which have that phrase
in the title
Using quotation marks around a phrase is especially helpful if the phrase includes a Boolean operator or stopword, e.g., "rock and roll".
Proximity Searching
Another search technique is proximity searching, which can help refine your search especially if you are searching in a fulltext database.
Many search systems have special operators to search for two or more words that occur within a specified number of words of each other. Proximity operators include the
words WITH, NEAR, ADJ (for adjacent to). Often you can specify the level of proximity between search terms.
For example, in the EBSCOhost search system, the proximity operators are composed of a letter -- N (for Near) or W (for Within) -- and a
number (to specify the number of words):
guidance W4 degree will find:
"guidance and counseling degree"
"...guidance could affect the degree to which..."
because the word guidance is within 4 words of the word degree.
Not all databases allow proximity searches. Because all systems are different, it is a good idea to check the online HELP screens to find
out what kinds of proximity and phrase searches are possible.
Keywords vs Subject Headings
So far we have been discussing searching using keywords and natural language. There are times when keyword searching is sufficient, and there are times when you will
get better results using subject headings.
Keyword Searching
In a keyword search, you enter a word/phrase in the search box. The search system looks for the exact words you type, either in the entire database or in the
citation, subject and abstract fields, depending on the database you are in.
To do a thorough search by keyword, you would need to think of all the words an author might use to express a topic -- for example, instant message, IM,
chat, msn messenger, etc
In some cases, the results can be overwhelming, and not all of the records will be relevant. Keyword searching often produces irrelevant items.
A keyword search may be useful for the following reasons:
if
if
if
if
if
if
if
you want to see what kind of results are available
you are not sure what terms to use
your topic is very new
there is no subject heading for your specific term/s
your topic uses specific jargon (e.g., cyberbully, instant messaging)
you want to broaden your search with a variety of keywords
you want more flexibility in the way you enter a topic
TIP: In most cases, it is beneficial to start with a keyword search. From the relevant records, you can look for other keywords and you can look at
the subject headings used. This can help for further expansion or narrowing of your topic.
Searching with Subject Headings
Many of our databases use a standardized list of subject headings, sometimes called a controlled vocabulary, or thesaurus. Human indexers read a book or article and
determine what that book or article is about (what subject). The indexer then adds subject headings from the controlled vocabulary list to the record for that item.
One benefit of searching by subject heading instead of keyword is that you don't need to think of all possible ways an author can express a topic.
Generally, all records covering a particular topic will contain the same subject heading, whether or not
that term was actually used by the author in the title or abstract.
EXAMPLES:
In an article where the author uses the words "glaring" or "cold shoulder" or "nonverbal expression," an indexer might assign the
subject heading "nonverbal communication" because is the standardized phrase for this topic.
For "chat" or "IM" or "instant message," an indexer might use the broader subject heading "electronic communication."
Because the subject heading has been assigned by an indexer who has read the book or article, the citation retrieved by a subject heading search is likely to
be relevant.
Some databases do this much better than others -- you may still need to use your keywords.
NOTE: In many databases, the subject headings are also called "DESCRIPTORS."
To find out what the subject headings for your search concepts are, check the Thesaurus or Subject Guide feature within the database you are using, if one is
available. If that feature is not available, you can usually check item records, after doing a keyword search, for useful subject terms.
Thesaurus/Subject Guide
The ability for you to view the thesaurus or subject guide can be very useful in other ways as well: you can see subject relationships; you can identify broader and narrower
terms; and, you can discover more options for ways to express your topic.
Here is an example from the Academic Search Complete Subject Guide online:
To fully use the thesauri online, you may need to consult HELP options in the database.
Another Way to Choose Subject Headings
Instead of using a thesaurus or subject guide, another way to choose subject headings is:
1. Perform a keyword search.
2. Once you identify some relevant records in your results, look at the full record which will include the subject headings assigned to that record.
3. In many cases, you will be able to click on the appropriate subject headings to view all records with that subject heading. Don't forget to combine your other search
concepts!
The following record shows the title and subject headings for one relevant record from a PsycINFO keyword search for aggression and teenage girls.
Title: 'You just stare at them and give them daggers': Nonverbal expressions of social aggression in teenage girls.
Subjects: *Aggressive Behavior; *Nonverbal Communication; *Peer Relations; Human Females
After viewing these subject headings, you might want to conduct a subject heading search for Aggressive Behavior and Nonverbal Communication.
Sample Search
Sample Search using Subject Headings
S1
What is the relationship between bullying and suicide among teenagers?
Results: (0)
S2
bullying and suicide and (teenagers or adolescents)
Results:
(108)
S3
(bullying or harassment or cyberbullying) and suicide and (teenagers or teens or adolescents or
adolescence)
Results:
(127)
S4
(bully* or harass* or cyberbully*) and suicid* and (teen* or adolescen*)
Results:
(166)
Now, let's try using subject headings:
S5
(DE "Bullying" OR DE "Harassment" OR DE "Cyberbullying") AND (DE "Suicid*") AND (DE "Adolescence" OR
DE "Teenagers")
Results:
(61)
Our results are much smaller, but theoretically every item should be focussed on our topic.
Other Techniques
There are many other techniques that you may choose to use in your database searching. Below are a few you may consider.
Field Searching
You have already learned that each record in a database contains fields (which vary according to the database you are searching). Some common fields are: Author, Title,
Journal Name. You have already used field searching if you have ever searched in the library catalog by Title or Author.
Searching by field is a good way to make your search more precise. The field searching features will look different on different search systems, but they will be there!
Many search systems allow field searching in the Advanced mode. In the search box, there may be a drop-down menu that allows you to specify in which field you want
your search term to appear. In Academic Search Complete from EbscoHost, you can choose to do your search in one of several fields including:
TX All text
AU Author
TI Title
SU Subject Terms
AB Abstract
etc
"Select a Field (optional)" is the default setting. Leaving it at this setting will find articles where the word "bully" is in the author, subject, keyword, title, or
abstract fields.
To broaden, you could select "TX All Text" which searches any text fields in the full record (which may or may not include the full text article).
TIP: In cases when there are too many items retrieved from a keyword search, you might try limiting your search to the "TI Title" field. This will
definitely narrow the search results, and may produce more relevant results.
Always be sure to check the online HELP screens
to find the fields specific to your database.
TI (bully* or cyberbully*) and suicid* and (teen* or adolescen*)
1. Bullying behavior is related to suicide attempts but not to self-mutilation among psychiatric inpatient
adolescents.
2. Bullying increased suicide risk: Prospective study of Korean adolescents.
3. Bullying and suicide attempts among adolescents kept in custody.
4. Bullying, Depression, and Suicidality in Adolescents.
5. The relationship between bullying, depression and suicidal thoughts/behaviour in Irish adolescents.
6. Suicidal ideation among adolescent school children, involvement in bully–victim problems, and perceived
social support.
Reviewing the keywords and subject headings used in these records should help with your search.
(6)
Limiting
Limiting is another way to focus your results. In many cases, you will find many of the same Field options (discussed above) among the LIMIT possibilities.
Keep in mind that Limit options will vary by database.
In most databases, you will be able to limit your search to publication type, which allows you to focus your results on academic journals, for example.
Academic Search Complete includes: Language, Publication Type, Document Type, Image Types, etc. In the example above, you would use "Limit your
results" (on the lower left) to see the possible criteria for limiting your results.
In other databases, "Geography" can be a useful way to limit, depending on your topic.
TIP: Don't limit to Full Text!!
Many of the library databases contain the full-text of many articles. For some of your search results, though, you won't see a full text
or pdf link next to the article you want.
This does not necessarily mean that you don't have access to the article -- you just may not have access to it through that
particular database. You may have to access it through another electronic source. You can often find the full-text in another
database, or you can request it through interlibrary loan.
Search Multiple Databases Simultaneously
In many search systems (e.g., EBSCOhost, ProQuest) you have the option to search multiple databases at the same time. For example, I might want to search Academic
Search Complete, Education Research Complete, and SPORTDiscus for my research on academic performance of college athletes.
One thing to note is that each database will use different subject headings. Because of this, it is best to do keyword searches when searching across multiple databases,
rather than using specific subject headings.
"Find"
When searching full-text databases, one useful technique is Edit / Find on page -- or, [CTRL][f]. If you want to skip to the portion of the page that includes a particular
keyword or form of that word, you can have the computer bring you directly to it on the page.
Try [CTRL][f] right now
and then type the word tips into the Find box.
In most pdf documents (that have been scanned to recognize individual words), you can search for words within the document.
Search Statement
Now that you know some search techniques, you should be able to put together an even more effective search statement.
However, it's usually a good idea to start simple and build. Our search began with:
bullying and suicide and (teenagers or adolescents) -- which combined the 3 concepts of our topic
and ended up with this:
(bully* or harass* or cyberbully*) and suicid* and (teen* or adolescen*) - using Subject Headings and Title words.
You may also use the Advanced Search options and just fill in the blanks:
Here is another example:
TOPIC: What noise issues does light rail generate?
KEY CONCEPTS: noise -- light rail
SYNONYMS: noise, acoustics, sound -- light rail, commuter train, local transit
SEARCH STATEMENTS:
noise and light rail
(noise* or acoustic* or sound*) and (light rail or commuter train* or local transit)
Try some statements for your own search topic.
Watch this video to review various techniques you might use in a database search.
Summary
In this module, we learned about the search tools available for accessing information sources.
There is not just one tool for all sources; what tool you use depends on what source you want/need.
The 3 primary tools you will use for most of your research are: library catalogs, databases, and Web search engines.
Library catalogs are primarily used for identifying and locating books (print or electronic) and other materials in a particular library’s collection.
When selecting a database, some things to consider are subject scope, material types covered, time range, geographic orientation, and access restrictions.
Databases are made up of records which contain fields for information about a particular information source.
Library databases are part of the "Invisible" or "Deep" Web. Like most libraries, ODU purchases subscriptions to these usually-costly resources for our primary users - including you.
The "Open" Web is also referred to as the "Surface Web" or "Visible Web." Search engines (such as Google or Yahoo) provide access to the Open Web, which
includes Web sites and pages that are freely available to the public.
Search engines, metasearch engines, and subject directories are tools available for searching the open Web. There is no one search engine that indexes all Web
sites.
When using search tools to find information, various techniques can make your search more efficient and effective.
Before you search, it is best to break down your topic into searchable components and include useful synonyms.
Combine your search terms using Boolean operators AND, OR, NOT.
AND narrows your search -- records must include all words connected with AND
OR broadens your search -- records can include any synonyms connected with OR
NOT restricts your search -- records will exclude terms
Truncation is useful for finding variations in the ending of a word (plurals, variant spellings, multiple suffixes). Wildcards can find variations within a word.
Some databases assume a phrase if two words are typed together; others insert AND. Try using quotation marks to keep a phrase together.
There are several good reasons to do a keyword search. To do a thorough search by keyword, however, you would need to think of all the words an author might use
to express a topic.
Generally, all records covering a particular topic will contain the same subject heading, whether or not that term was actually used by the author in the title or
abstract.
Many of our databases use a standardized list of subject headings, sometimes called a controlled vocabulary, or thesaurus.
Other techniques to try include searching by field, limiting in various ways, using "find" in full text records.
Return to your Blackboard course for further assignments
Feedback: Please take a few moments to complete a brief survey with your feedback on the module.
Suggested Reading/Sources Consulted
List-Handley. C. J. (2008) Information literacy and technology. 4th ed. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt.
Barker, D. I., Barker, M. S., & Pinard, K. T. (2010). Internet research: Illustrated. Boston, MA: Course Technology. Copyright 2010-2013 Old Dominion University -- ODU Libraries, updated September 2013