GSU Library Research Guides: Research in the Behavioral and Social Sciences: Information Search Strategy

The Basics of Searching for Resources

So, you have selected a research topic and it is time to start collecting resources that are relevant to your research. Taking time to develop an intentional search strategy will help you locate resources efficiently.

To do this, we use information search strategies like Boolean operators, nesting, truncation, and phrase searching.

Here is an example:

Search Strategy Builder

The Search Strategy Builder is a tool designed to teach you how to create a search string using Boolean logic. While it is not a database and is not designed to input a search, you should be able to cut and paste the results into most databases’ search boxes.

Concept 1

AND

Concept 2

AND

Concept 3

Name your core concepts here:

Search terms

List alternate terms for each concept.

These can be synonyms, relevant antonyms, antiquated terminology, or specific examples of the concept.

You can use single words (ex: balloon)
phrases with quotation marks (ex: "hot air balloons")
or truncate words with an asterisk to indicate all versions of the word (ex: balloon*)

OR

OR

OR

Now copy and paste the above Search Strategy into a database search box.

The Search Strategy Builder was developed by the University of Arizona Libraries(CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US), and shared by Mandy Swygart-Hobaugh.

Let's Get Interactive!

Boolean Bonanza
Participate in this short learning activity by Eric Kowalik to test your understanding of Boolean logic. (Indexed in Project CORA, 2022).

Searching Step-by-Step

The following steps outline a simple and effective strategy for finding information for your research paper and documenting the sources you find. Depending on your topic and your familiarity with the library, you may need to rearrange or recycle these steps. Adapt this outline to your needs.

Understand your assignment: Your writing task begins when you receive your writing assignment from your teacher. The first step is to make sure you understand the assignment and what your teacher wants you to do with it.
Choose a topic: Identify an issue/problem that interests you
1. Narrow your topic to a very specific issue or problem
2. Get your topic approved, if required by your professor.
Learn about your topic:
1. Search for background information on the web, in your class readings, and encyclopedias:
  1. Helps you understand the issue
  2. Provides you with terminology you can use when searching the library’s resources to look for books and articles
Develop a list of search terms: Based on what you learned about the topic from the background information you found, develop a list of search terms to use when searching the library catalog and article databases
Search for information: Use the library’s resources to search for:
1. Books (search for books on both your broad and specific topic as well as work that NGOs that may be working to solve the issue/problem)
2. Scholarly journal articles (search for your specific topic, including NGOs that may be working to solve the issue/problem)
Identify and search for other types of information that might help you:
1. Magazine articles
2. Newspaper articles
3. Statistics
4. Government publications/reports
Create a bibliography of the best sources you’ve located.
1. Make sure you use the citation style required by your professor.
Evaluate the info that you found:
1. Did you find enough resources to meet the assignment expectations?
2. Did you find enough information to write your paper?
3. Does it provide you with an understanding of the issue/problem?
4. Does it help you find a solution to the problem?
5. If you answered no to any of these questions:
  1. Look for additional information using the library’s resources
  2. Look through the bibliographies (reference or works cited lists) of the books and articles you located that are relevant to your topic to see if any of the sources will help you. If so, search for the resources using the library’s search tools.
  3. Refine your topic
Write your paper:
1. Consult the writing consultant assigned to the course if you need advice or assistance.
Cite your sources:
1. To avoid plagiarism, cite the source you consulted to write your paper.

Create Alerts for New Items

EBSCOhost Databases

Examples:

Academic Search Complete

CINAHL Plus with Full Text

LGBT Life with Full Text

After selecting an EBSCOhost database from the GSU Library's subscriptions, log in with your GSU ID as prompted.
Choose any additional EBSCOhost databases you want to search using the link above the search box. Then type your search terms into the box, and click the Search button.
On your Results screen, click the Share button at top right of results list. See the option for Create An Alert, and select either E-mail Alert or RSS Feed).
Set your preferences for frequency of receiving alerts, etc. (click Advanced Settings for more options if desired), then click Save Alert button.

For more information, see EBSCO Help's Creating a Search Alert tutorial.

ProQuest Databases

Examples:

ProQuest Central

Sociological Abstracts

ABI/INFORM Collection

After selecting a ProQuest database from the GSU Library's subscriptions, log in with your GSU ID as prompted.
Type your search terms into the box, and click the Search button. (To search additional ProQuest databases, see the Advanced Search screen.)
On your Results screen, click the Save Search/Alert option at the top-right of results list. Select Create Alert or Create RSS Feed.
Set your preferences for frequency of receiving alerts, etc. Then click Create Alert/Feed button.

For more information, see ProQuest Support Center's Create a Search Alert instructions.

Search for your key terms in the PubMed search box. (See Advanced Search for additional options.)
On your results page, select the Create Alert button underneath the search box.
Follow instructions to either log in with your existing account or create a new free NCBI account.
Once logged in, you'll continue to the My NCBI tool where you can save and set schedules for your alerts.

For more information, see PubMed's How Can I Get an Alert? instructions.

Register for your free Web of Science account, or log in, at the top-right of the page.
Search for your key terms in the Web of Science search box. (See Advanced Search for additional options.)
On your results page, click the blue Create An Alert button on the left side of the page to set up emails for future search results.
Additionally, see Searches and Alerts at the top of the page for alerts on future uses of a specific citation, or on future contents of a specific journal.

In Google Scholar, create or sign in to your free Google account in the top-right corner of the page.
Search for your key terms in the search box. (See Advanced Search for additional options.)
On your results page, select the Create Alert button on the left side of the page.

JournalTOCs

JournalTOCs is a free service that makes it easy to find, display and store Tables of Contents from scholarly journals in all disciplines from over a thousand publishers. You can also import them into your Google Feed Reader or Microsoft Outlook RSS Feed Reader.

1. In the search box on the JournalTOCs home page, search for your journal title.

2. From the results that appear underneath the search box, select your journal title.

3. From there, you can choose how you want to follow or subscribe to the journal's information:

Follow the journal information on the JournalTOCs site with your free JournalTOCs account (using the Follow check box)
Send to your favorite feed reader with the orange RSS button
Export the journal information to Zotero

Librarian Charlene