searching databases

Searching DatabasesA Doherty Library Information Literacy

Tutorial

GoalsBy reviewing this tutorial, you should learn

how to:1. Understand what article databases are2. Use search limiters3. Select keywords from a research question4. Narrow a keyword search with AND5. Broaden a keyword search with OR

1. What is an article database?Scholars publish new research in peer-

reviewed, scholarly journals.There are lots of these journals.

To keep up with them, you’d need to look through hundreds of tables of contents per month!

1. What is an article database?Databases compile article information from

many journals.Imagine thousands of tables of contents

combined, with each item indexed by title, author, subject, and many other features.

So what?With a database, you can search for articles on

a topic.

2. Use search limitersWhen you search, you want to:

retrieve the sources you wanteliminate the sources you don’t want.

Limiters (also called filters) let you start eliminating right away. Look for checkboxes and lists on your database’s Advanced Search page and on your search results page.

2. Use search limitersImportant limiters:Peer-reviewed onlyDate rangesPublication typeOther stuff: age group, test used, subject,

geography, language

3. Select keywords from a research questionWhat makes a good research question?

Less developed: I want to learn about [topic].

At this stage, instead of an article try:A reference resource (companion,

encyclopedia)Brainstorming your topicTalking to your professor

3. Select keywords from a research questionWhat makes a good research question?More developed: What is the effect of [independent variable] on

[dependent variable] among [population]?OR

What does an application of [approach] to [text] reveal about [historical issue/literary debate]?

Terms in relation => Narrower focus => New knowledge!

3. Select keywords from a research questionGood research questions give you good

keywords for searching.

Sample question: What is the effect of Reading Reels lessons on

reading comprehension among 6th graders?

Find 3 keywords or phrases.

3. Select keywords from a research questionSample question [education]: What is the effect

of Reading Reels lessons on reading comprehension among 6th graders?

Keywords:“Reading Reels”“Reading comprehension”6th grade

3. Select keywords from a research questionSample question [humanities]: What does close

reading of the Biblical references in Hamlet reveal about Shakespeare’s understanding of revenge?

What are the best keywords? Find 3-4.

3. Select keywords from a research questionSample question: What does close reading of the

Biblical references in Hamlet reveal about Shakespeare’s understanding of revenge?

Keywords:BibleHamletShakespearerevenge

Note:Leave out words like “reading,” “references,” and

“understanding” that are not specific to your topic.

3. Select keywords from a research questionSample question [nursing]: What is the benefit

of breathing relaxation techniques on pain management for women in labor?

What are the best keywords? Find 3.

3. Select keywords from a research questionSample question [nursing]: What is the benefit

of breathing relaxation techniques on pain management for women in labor?

Keywords:Breathing relaxation techniquesPain managementWomen in labor

Why not “benefit””?

Houston

SoccerProfessional

4. Narrow a keyword search with ANDAND in database searches is a way of saying, I

want only results with both (or all) these terms.

Add keywords with AND to narrow your results.

4. Narrow a keyword search with ANDKeywords [education]:“Reading Reels”“Reading comprehension”6th grade

Search:“reading reels” AND “reading comprehension” AND “6th

grade”

Note: Quotation marks tell the database that you’re searching for that exact phrase (those words in that order).

4. Narrow a keyword search with ANDKeywords [humanities]:BibleHamletShakespearerevenge

Search:Bible AND Hamlet AND Shakespeare AND

revenge

4. Narrow a keyword search with ANDKeywords [nursing]:Breathing relaxation techniquesPain managementWomen in labor

Search:Breathing relaxation techniques AND pain

management AND women in laborNote: Medical databases tend to work better

without quotation marks around phrases.

5. Broaden a keyword search with OROR in database searches is a way of saying, I

want results with either of these terms.Add keywords with OR to broaden your results.

Soccer Football World Cup FIFA

Combine these with OR to get all the results you can about soccer. Can you think of other keywords to broaden the search further?

5. Broaden a keyword search with ORIn database searches, use OR to add alternate

keywords to your basic AND search.Examples:(comprehension OR understanding) AND (“6th grade”

OR “middle school”)(labor OR childbirth) AND pain AND (management OR

control)

Note: Parentheses group terms, like in math. In most databases, multiple boxes do the same thing.Wrong: pain AND labor OR childbirthRight: pain AND (labor OR childbirth)

5. Broaden a keyword search with ORTruncation is one more way to broaden searches.Truncation lets you search for different forms of a word.

Usually, an asterisk (*) tells the database that the word can end in any way from that point on.

Here are examples:Bibl* searches for Bible OR Biblical.Grade* searches for grade OR grades OR graders OR graded.Manag* searches for managing OR management OR manager

Can you think of another example where truncation would be useful?

Go to askus.stthom.edu to get help using library

resources.

searching databases

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new research