UCLA Powell Library, 3:25
This video focuses on how to breakdown a research question into keywords, come up with synonyms and narrower and broader terms, and how to mix keywords into a database (the database in this case is an animation of search boxes and not a specific database). It emphasizes that students will need to experiment with different combinations. It also prompts students to pause the video and participate. It could be used on a LibGuide, assigned prior to a class session, or it can also be watched during a class session. The video also provides a great way to connect an active learning exercise in which students can switch papers with a partner to see what other words come to mind (connection to how different people use different words that more or less mean similar things). Start the video at 0:05, and end it at 3:09 to skip over the library branding. The YouTube description of the video also includes a link to the Savvy Search Strategy handout.
Boolean operators are words you can use between your search terms to either broaden or limit your search.
1. Use OR to broaden your search and to join SIMILAR terms.
2. Use AND to narrow your search and join DISSIMILAR.
3. Use NOT to narrow your search. This will omit items with that term.
Quotation Marks
Use quotation marks to search for a phrase.
Truncation
Use a symbol (* is the most common) to look for variant endings of a word.
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