English 101 for Professor Aaron Hedge

Why do we care about keywords? 

Databases don't speak in full sentences. We have to break down our topics or research questions into bite-sized pieces so the database can understand what we're asking it to find. In research-speak we call these bite-size pieces "keywords", or "key terms". 

Drawing a Concept Map

One way to break down a question into bite-sized concepts is a concept map - put your question or topic in the center, then branch out into all of the smaller pieces of your topic. Think about the "Who?" "What?" "Where?" and "When?" of your research topic. 

Talking to Databases

Once you have a set of keywords, you can start trying out some searches. Remember that research is a PROCESS, and it may take several searches before you see anything relevant to your research goals. 
 

General Search Tips for Any Database

• Search exact phrases "in quotes" -- "social media"
• Use or for synonyms if you want either keyword to be present in a source -- "social media" or twitter or instagram
• Use and if you want all of the keywords to be present in a source -- "social media" and "self esteem"
• Use an asterisk * on the root form of a word to find any version of the root word with different endings -- child* searches for child, children, childhood, etc.

Advanced Search in EBSCOhost Databases (e.g., Academic Search Ultimate)

• Enter one major concept per box/search line - you can include multiple synonyms or similar keywords for the same concept with an or between each of them
• The advanced search box automatically includes the and operator - each box/search line is separated by this and. Visually, you end up stacking different concepts vertically on separate lines

Narrowing Results 

No one has time to scroll through twelve-thousand results. Look to the left of search results for a menu of limiters: 

• Limit to -- Full Text: Search results will only include sources that are immediately available in full text format
• Limit to -- Peer Reviewed: Search results will only include sources published in peer-reviewed journals
• Publication date slider: This is in the form of a sliding bar - do you have to find sources within the past 5 years? This limiter is your friend. 
• Source Type: academic journals (scholarly), magazines, newspapers
• Subject: Major Heading: This allows you to narrow down to a specific subject area 

Saving Articles

When you click on a result, it will open into a record page. On the right side of this page, find the menu titled Tools. There are several ways to save sources to look more closely at later. A few common strategies using this Tools menu: 

Add to Folder (save results until the end of your session, then email them all at once)

• Click Add to Folder
• When you are ready to leave the browser window, click Folder in the main menu at the top of the page
• Email all of the results to yourself before you exit the browser

Email 

• This option lets you send a single article directly to your email

URL/Permalinks

• IMPORTANT: Do not copy/paste the URL directly out of the browser's search bar. You will click on this URL later, and it will go nowhere. 
• Find the Permalink icon on the right side Tools menu of an article's record page 
• Paste this Permalink somewhere you will find it again - a specific document, for example