Keyword Searching
Use the Search Generator from Northwest Missouri State University to help you create a keyword search.
Using AND/OR/NOT (Boolean Search Operators)
AND |
Use AND to focus search and combine different aspects of your topic. Example: vegetarianism and environment |
OR |
Use OR to expand your search and find synonyms/related terms. Example: global warming or climate change |
NOT |
Use NOT to exclude a word or phrase from your search Example: emissions trading not United States |
Additional Search Tips
|
"Phrase search" - Use quotation marks (" ") to search for a particular phrase. Example: "greenhouse gas emissions" |
|
Truncation * - Use an asterisk to find variations of a word. Put an asterisk following the root of the word to find all variations of that word, including singular and plural. Example: environment* (finds environments, environmental, environmentalist, etc.) |
|
(Grouping/Nesting Keywords) - Use parentheses ( ) as a way to group all your search terms together. Example: (climate change or global warming) and population growth |
Create A Keyword List
The right keywords help to effectively search catalogs, databases, and the Internet.
- Start by compiling a list of keywords that represent each concept of your topic.
- Try the Search Generator from Northwest Missouri State University to help you create a keyword search.
- Use more specific terms when searching databases versus catalogs.
- Look for additional terms in your search results. Add these to your list.
- Use the Library of Congress Authorities and Vocabularies thesaurus to find variations of keywords and subject headings.
Putting the 'RE' in searching
You may need to do multiple searches in each database. And with patient and persistence, you will find relevant material.
Search multiple catalogs and databases noting those keywords in the title, table of contents, subject headings, and text of books.
Leverage Footnotes and Bibliographies
Footnotes and bibliographies are a quick way to find related materials and track the names of popular authors written in past and used in an article.
To find relevant articles since an article was published use:
- try this database to find influential articles and track citation usage.
- note the "Cited by" links
- receive emails when new articles cite the orginial target article
Ebsco Databases Academic Search Complete
- Cited References - top menu
- Find Similar Results - once in an article record