POPS 10101: Intro to College Research Course Guide

Strategies for Searching

Using library resources to find information can feel tough at first, but there are lots of features built-in to actually make your life easier!

• Use Keywords, Not Sentences: Look at your research question and pull out the most important words and search just those.
• Try Synonyms: If you don't find what you need, try to think of other ways to say the same thing. Example: adolescent and teenager
• Find Subject Headings: When you find an article that looks promising, click the subject headings (in blue) to find similar articles. Think of these like a librarian's hashtag; if you can figure out what the experts are calling your topic, you'll find more.
•  Use Boolean Operators: AND - Narrows your search by combining terms, OR - Broadens your search by including any of the terms, NOT - Excludes terms to narrow your results
• Still stuck? Ask a librarian for help! We are experts at finding information and love a challenge!