Research Tips

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Research Tips

• 7/8 ID 2006

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Subject vs. Keyword Searches

• Two main types of searches
• Many sites and databases offer both
• SIRS also offers a subject tree
• InfoTrac OneFile also offers searching within
  Full Text

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Just so you know

• Each document in a database or on a website is
  typically assigned fields
• See the OPAC for common fields
• Title
• Author
• Publisher
• Subjects

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Subject Searching

• Retrieves search terms from ONLY the subject
  field
• SIRS example

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Keyword vs. Subject Searching
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When to use what?

• Subject
• Anytime you want an article thats all about
  your subject
• Keyword
• If there is no subject heading for your topic
• If subject headings are too broad
• If you want to combine several subjects
• If the database does not use subject headings

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Keyword searching with Phrases

• Use around a phrase if you want to search
  under that phrase exactly
• John Quincy Adams so that you dont get
  information about John Adams
• SIRS example

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Boolean Searching

• Boolean operators AND OR NOT
• Allow you to search for combinations of words or
  phrases

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Boolean Searching AND

• Example poverty AND crime

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Boolean Searching OR

• Example college OR university

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Boolean Searching NOT

• Example cats NOT dogs

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Boolean Searching Combining

• Examples
• tree AND (birch OR oak)
• (women or woman) AND soccer
• (decorate OR decoration) NOT (art or architecture)

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Boolean Searching Examples

• Andrew Jackson AND War of 1812
• Mark Twain OR Samuel Clements
• George Washington NOT Carver
• Napoleon NOT dynamite