Before you start entering any search terms, spend a few minutes trying to think of as many relevant terms and combinations of terms as you can. This will help you to avoid getting stuck in a rut with the first terms that come to mind. For example, if your question is, "how can the Black Student Union increase membership? and I only search on the concept "Black Student Union," I will miss out on relevant articles that use the broader term "student organizations."
If you need help in coming up with terms, you may want to try the "Thesaurus" or "Subject Headings" features in the database you've chosen.
Check out the "Help" or "Search Tips" to learn some of the search features specific to that database. Most databases provide similar features, but the methods may vary. Some common tricks:
Try the databases' Advanced Search feature, which usually gives you the ability to search multiple fields (author, title, keyword, subject, etc) with one search and may offer additional ways to expand or limit your search.
If your first search strategy does not work, try another approach. Use the links below to find additional help:
Antes de buscar, es importante que tengas un buen idea de los tipos de información que quieres. Es decir, para ayudarte contestar tu pregunta de investigación y escribir tu tarea, tienes que eligir libros o artículos u otras materias para apoyar tus argumentos y dar evidencia para tus declaraciones.
También necesitas técnicas o habilidades de buscar con sistemas de información y un buen idea de dónde debes buscar.
Utilices esta página de repasar las técnicas de buscar, para pensar en dónde vas a buscar, y para familiarizarte con recursos de la biblioteca como bases de datos.
In order to select sources appropriate for your research, it is helpful to consider their original purpose, that is, why that newspaper article, journal article, or book was created in the first place. This video, created by librarians at the Portland State University Library, provides some context.
Citation chaining is the name for a process in which you use an information source to find other work that is cited within the first source (backwards chaining) or cites to the first source (forward chaining).
Below is a YouTube video on how citation chaining works in Google Scholar. Keep in mind that you should never have to pay for an article while you are at IU Indianapolis. See "Finding the Full-Text of an Article" for how to access Interlibrary Loan. In this video, look for a "fluff word" that the researcher uses when searching.
Using library resources can be fun and productive, but it can also be confusing or frustrating at times. If you feel yourself getting overwhelmed by the many choices the library offers, feel free to reach out to a librarian for help.
The table below may help you understand which tools would be best for your information need.
You may find that some or none of these tools help with your research. In that case, try one of the subject guides. Look for a page about articles or databases to find discipline-specific databases. For example, if your research question is about gender inequality, try the Women's Studies guide.
