1) Decide Where To Search
The first step for a successful search is selecting the best place to look for information. With the wide variety of web and library sources available, this can be a difficult choice. Knowing what type of information you need will make this selection easier.
| If you are looking for: | Search: | Examples: |
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Books
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Library Catalogs
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Articles
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Periodical Indexes
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Web Pages
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Search Engines
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Facts & Figures
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Reference Sources
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2) Select Keywords Once you select a place to search.
Use descriptive keywords. Try to think of words that would be used by authors or editors writing about your topic.
For example, if you wanted to find information about:The impact of the International Space Station on the Texas economy
You might think of the following keywords and phrases:
3) Combine Keywords
Entering single words and phrases when you search will generate results. However, you'll probably spend a lot of time weeding through information that isn't exactly on your topic. Combining keywords by using connectors such as AND and OR effectively will provide more on-target results.
Use AND when combining different terms; all terms will appear in the results.
Use OR when combining similar terms; any one or more of these terms will appear in the results.
The connectors AND and OR work well when searching library databases or periodical indexes. However, search engines may not use these connectors in the same way. Many search engines interpret keywords entered as automatically having the OR between terms. This is why there are so many results for your searches when using a search engine.
If you wish your results to be more on target when using a search engine, try using a "+" before each term. This will indicate to the search engine that you only want to retrieve those web pages that contain that exact term. You may also try using quotes around phrases.
