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SCC Library

RESEARCH

Watch this video for an overview of conducting an advanced search in an online database:

Boolean Operators

In your search bar, use the boolean operators AND, OR, & NOT to join terms and focus your search. Using AND will narrow results while using OR will broaden results. ex. Searching "Mental Health" AND "Teens" will provide articles that mention both terms. Searching "Mental Health" AND ("Teens" OR "Young Adults" OR "Youth") will broaden your results to include articles that mention "Mental Health" and any one of those various words for teenagers. 

File:Diagram Explaining Boolean Operators.png

"Diagram Explaining Boolean Operators.png" by Cecelia Vetter  is licensed under cc by CC-BY-SA-4.0

Tips

  • Use AND to join concepts 
  • Use OR to join related terms or synonyms
  • Use parentheses to organize your search, similar to the order of operations in math. For example, if you search (Dog or Cat) AND training, the database will search for articles that have either dog training or cat training information. If you search Dogs or (Cat AND training), the database will search for articles that either mention dogs or that mention cat training. 
  • Choose something you are interested in. Your writing will be better if you care about the topic. If the assignment is flexible, consider connecting your topic to a passion, career goal, or something you are genuinely curious about. 
  • Make sure the scope of your topic is reasonable. It should be narrow enough that you can cover the necessary information within the constraints of the assignment, but not so narrow that it is difficult to find supporting information. 
  • Read some background information. Encyclopedia articles like the ones on Credo Reference are a great place to start to become familiar with a broad topic and brainstorm ideas.  Credo Reference also has a mind map feature that links each article to related topics and terms, which may help you narrow your topic. You might even try browsing Wikipedia articles, but keep in mind that because anyone can edit Wikipedia, there is potential for significant accuracy issues. It is recommended that you don't cite Wikipedia articles in your academic work; however, you may find it useful for becoming familiar with background information or identifying search terms. You can refer to the references page of the Wikipedia article to identify more scholarly work on the topic.  
  • Be flexible! Keep in mind that your topic may change a bit as you work. You may discover something that sets your research off in a new direction or you may find evidence that causes you to adjust your thesis. 
  • Consider current events or controversial topics. You can browse Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints for ideas. 
  • Get an idea of the scholarly conversation . Researchers and scholars are engaged in conversation with each other. In their writing, they respond to and build upon each other's work.  Authors will reference other studies and articles, and their own writing may even be cited by other scholars in the future. When you write your research paper, you are joining in on this conversation. Browsing different articles and the references they use will give you a better idea of the topics of discussion, different perspectives, controversies, consensus, and current trends of interest. 

  • Still, struggling to find a topic? Reach out to the library for help! 

Why should you use library databases for research?

  • The scholarly articles in library databases are typically peer-reviewed, which ensures that experts have verified the credibility of the information. 

  • You can also avoid paywall restrictions. Because the library pays for subscriptions to the databases, you will have more access to full-text articles.

A-Z Database- To access an alphabetical list of available library databases, click on the A-Z Database button on the library homepage. Click on a letter to jump to that section or use the subjects along the left side to narrow it down. 

Research Guides - You can also find curated lists of resources and databases by topic or course!

Click on "Resources" and look for the Research Guides link.

A great database to use as you start your research is Proquest Central .

Proquest Central is a multi-subject database that covers a wide variety of topics, so if you only use one database, use this one! 

 

When you have a thesis or research question in mind, start by identifying the most important words or phrases in your topic. 

For example: 

  • What are some effective control methods for invasive weeds? 

Then, brainstorm additional keywords that are synonyms or closely related terms to each of the concept words or phrases you identified. Later, you will be able to try different combinations of these terms in your search. Different articles may use different terms, so brainstorming a variety of words will make sure you don't miss useful articles. 

control method* invasive weed*
prevent* technique* non-native plant*
remove tool* introduced  
manage      

You can use this worksheet to brainstorm terms for your topic. 

Interactive Virtual Brainstorm Worksheet

Printable Version of Brainstorm Worksheet

In addition to reference sources, Credo Reference has a mind map feature that may help you identify synonyms or related terms. For science topics, you may end up using both common and scientific names in your searches. 

Where Else to Find Potential Search Terms

  • Scan article abstracts for terms
  • Check subject headings on articles
  • Use the database thesaurus to find preferred terms 
  • Browse encyclopedia/Wikipedia page for terms 
  • Look at autocomplete suggestions in the search bar