Information Literacy Tutorial

Identify the Best Keywords for the Topic:

Identify all the words that you can think of that are related to your topic, especially words that have broader, narrower, or similar meanings.

These "keywords" will be important tools for finding information on your topic.

Video: Searching Databases - by Yavapai College Library

This video demonstrates useful database searching techniques.

Time: 4:55 minutes

Using AND, OR, NOT and Truncation: Boolean Operators

AND – To narrow your search - link keywords by AND to search for all words in the same resource.

• ex. depression AND adolescence

OR – To expand your search - link two or more similar concepts or alternative forms of expression by OR to search for either word in the same resource.

• ex. ESL OR English as second language OR bilingual education

NOT - To narrow your search - exclude words from your search.

• ex. cloning NOT sheep

Truncation - To expand your search - put a truncation symbol at the end of a word (or root of a word) to broaden your search to include all possible variations after the keyword.

• ex. child* = child, children, childhood

In most databases, the Truncation symbol is the asterisk character *

The question mark character ? can sometimes be used to substitute for letters within a keyword

In some databases, the Truncation symbol is the dollar sign $

Quotation Marks

Most databases permit the use of quotation marks to limit search results to citations that contain a particular phrase.

Test Your Knowledge About Searching Effectively:

1. In order to search for variant terms: computer, computers, computing, computerized, which is the best way to truncate?
a) Com*
b) Computer*
c) Comput*
d) None of the above

2. To focus or narrow your search, which search strategy is correct?
a) Nutrition AND vitamins
b) Nutrition OR vitamins
c) Nutrition NOT vitamins

3. How do you find out if a specific journal title is available in the Guarini library. Select the BEST answer.
a) Ask a reference librarian.
b) Do a "Title" search for the journal in OSCAR or check Periodicals List A-Z on the library's home page .
c) Look on the shelves in the Periodicals Department on the second floor of the Guarini Library.
d) Use the Web site : <findarticles.com>

4. You need to search for scholarly or peer reviewed journal articles on the topic "early childhood education" in a database such as Academic Search Premier. Select the best search strategy:
a) Type "early childhood education" in Search Box.
b) Type "early childhood education" in Search Box and then choose Subject Terms from the Field Menu.
c) Type "early childhood education" in Search Box and limit your search by: Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals.

1. C

2. A

3. B

4. C