TOP TEN SEARCH TIPS -- applicable in almost all databases
All databases, including Google, are based on what is called "Boolean logic," using the connectors AND, OR, and to a much lesser extent, NOT. If you understand what a database is doing behind the scenes, it will help you devise a better search to find what you need.
Click here to see a YouTube video that illustrates Boolean logic.
-Break your research question into essential key words and connect with AND, e.g., "What role does gender inequality play in recent popular uprisings in Middle east countries?
becomes gender inequality AND uprising AND middle east
-Brainstorm synonyms and connect with OR, e.g., uprising OR conflict OR domestic strife
-Don’t get stuck on one term if there are other ways of expressing it.
-Use wild card/ truncation symbol (*) to get plurals and variant endings, e.g., method* will find method, methods, methodology, methodologies, methodological
-Use “Advanced Search” for more control and flexibility.
- Limit to the abstract to help eliminate irrelevant results.
-Put quotes around a term that’s a phrase to keep the words together, e.g. “politics of gender” “feminist theory”
-If applicable, limit your search to “Academic Journals” or “Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals”
-When you find a good article, always look at the works cited or reference list at the end to help identify other useful articles and books on the same topic.
