Preparing a Search Strategy
This brief guide provides hints on how to prepare an effective search strategy when using a Journal Index or Database.
An example of a research topic:
Discuss the effects that mergers and the increasing concentration of media ownership may have on objectivity in news reporting.
Where to begin:
1. Once you have thought about the topics and issues you will be researching, create a list of KEYWORDS that best describe your subject and your approach to the subject (specific themes to be studied, theoretical approaches, etc).
- Tip: Include synonyms to account for variations in terminology. You should also account for variations in language, spelling (color, colour), tense, etc. Antonyms are also occasionally helpful.
Examples :
- media, radio, television, newspaper, film, news, publication, broadcaster
- ownership, concentration, merger, cartel, takeover, monopoly
- objectivity, bias, control, prejudice, slant, diversity
Note: the above is not intended to represent a complete list of possible terms.
2. Using the above Keywords, create a variety of search strategies.
Words and Phrases may be combined using AND, OR, & NOT (i.e. Boolean operators).See Searching the Internet and Journal Indexes & Databases for Guides to Boolean Searching
Examples:
media and ownership
media and ownership and concentration
media ownership and concentration
media and merger? and ownership
media and ownership and bias
media and (merger? or ownership) and bias
Note: The phrase "media ownership" will, in most databases, generate different results than a search combining the words "media" and "ownership".
- The phrase search will only retrieve records that contain the phrase "media ownership" ("quotation marks" may be required for phrase searching in certain databases)
- The keyword search "media and ownership" will retrieve records that contain both words but in any order and not necessarily side by side.
- The "?" is a truncation symbol.
Example: "tempt?" finds tempt, temptation, temptations, temptor, etc.
The function of this symbol (truncation symbols) may vary from database to database. Also, some databases use the "*" or "$" instead of the "?". Check the Help or Tips page of the database you are searching if you are not sure which one to use.
3. Select the appropriate Journal Indexes and begin searching.
See the Find Articles page and browse the subject lists of indexes and databases to determine which ones are most appropriate for your topic.Tips:
- Keep track of your searches (search history) and save your search results.
- Evaluate your search results: are the items uncovered by your search appropriate? relevant? of interest?
- Pay attention to descriptors (similar to Subject Headings: terms assigned to a record to describe an item) and words in the titles of articles -- you may find other terms to add to your list of keywords above.
- Use multiple search strategies: do not rely on the results from just one or two searches. Use the various combinations of words and phrases (see above) to perform multiple searches.
Remember: research does not necessarily end once you begin writing your paper! New areas of interest may come to light once you start working through your preliminary research findings. You may want to perform new searches that incorporate this new information, new terminology, etc.