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Psychology

Basic Search Tips

SearchKeywords

Unlike Google, library databases can't understand an entire sentence. So you'll need to break your topic down into the most important ideas - the KEYWORDS.

Example Topic: What self-control strategies can teens use to reduce social anxiety caused by digital technology?

The specifics of your topic will matter when selecting sources, but for searching you only need the most essential components.

Keywords: self-control, teens, social anxiety, digital technology

Animated GIF shows how to identify keywords

Synonyms

Most words have synonyms that mean the same, or very similar, things. For each keyword in your topic, try to come up with at least one synonym. Not all keywords will have synonyms, but many do!

Example: 

Keyword: digital technology     Synonym: smartphones
Keyword: teen    Synonym: teenager, adolescent, young adult

 

Abbreviations and Common Names

Sometimes articles will include the abbreviations and acronyms and other times they will spell out the complete words. Do the same in your search.

SSRI or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor

 

Articles may refer to something by either its scientific or more common name. Include both in your search to make sure you're getting all of the possible results.

Vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol
stroke or cerebrovascular accident

 

Truncations

You can include words with many forms and endings into a single search term by using the asterisk (*) symbol. This will eliminate the need to type every form and ending of a single word.

manag* = managerial, manager, manage, manangement, etc.

 

Keep an Eye Out

Sometimes scholars use terms that you might not be familiar with, or which might mean something very specific within the discipline. While searching, look for unfamiliar terms or words that show up a lot. Try searching for those and see if you find more relevant sources.

Most library databases have search tools built in. Try some of these:

  • Subject: Think of subjects as official hashtags. Use them to find sources about that subject. Many databases, such as APA PsycArticles, have a list of official subject headings or a thesaurus to help you.
  • Date Range: Limit your search to sources published between specific years.
  • Scholarly and Peer Reviewed: Limit your search to scholarly journal articles.
  • Full Text: This gives results for articles and books that are immediately available to read in full text. Keep in mind that physical print books will be excluded. Also, you may be eliminating a possible result that you can easily get through InterLibrary Loan.
  • eBooks and Physical Items: Limit your search to items found in the Classic Catalog (physical books, eBooks, DVDs, other physical library materials).
  • Physical Books in Farley Library: Limit your search to print books found on the shelves in Farley Library.
  • Discipline: Use these options to narrow down results by an article's larger discipline. For example, an article about pain management could be found in biology, pharmaceutical, or physiology articles. If you want to research the pain management of a certain drug, select the "pharmacy" discipline.

Look on the left and right of your search results, or for an "advanced search" page to find these tools - and more!

Advanced Search Tips

Use the operator AND to find only sources that mention both keywords.

self-control AND social anxiety

This search will bring back fewer results than searching either keyword on its own.

Use the OR operator to expand your search with additional keywords.

digital technology OR smartphones

This will find sources that include either word, so you'll see more results than by searching for just one keyword.

Use the "QUOTES" strategy to search for several words in a phrase.

"social anxiety"

This will bring back results that only use that exact phrase.

Are you seeing too many results that are simply not relevant to your topic?

NOT "Alzheimer's"

 

Try using the NOT filter, and put those words in quotations which removes that keyword from your results list.