Think before you search!
- Computers don't know the context - you do.
- Computers are literal.
- Make a plan = search strategy
- How you construct your search strategy affects your results.
Boolean Operators
Setting the Context
- Use quotation marks on phrases "green houses" vs. greenhouses vs. "house on the green"
- Spelling counts! Results can vary: e-commerce/ecommerce, labor/labour
- Use commands such as adjacency (w/2 etc), truncation, etc. to "force" context.
- Check the database/system to see what symbols/commands are used.
- If the database offers a thesaurus or term finder - use it!
- Fish in the best pond: what works successfully as a subject in one database may not work in another.
- Take the time to try various search combinations "up front"
Boolean Operators in Action
- Don't limit yourself to professional jargon, terms.
- Never search using acronyms by themselves (Search "Certified Public Accountants" not CPA).
- May use acronyms in search string
- Be creative - use a variety of synonyms
- Searching Tutorial #1
- Searching Tutorial #2
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