Read through the tabs below to learn about searching with keywords, using operators and modifiers, filtering your results, and evaluating and citing your sources.
When searching library databases, use keywords instead of full sentences
First, identify the main ideas of your research topic or question.
What policies could address the spread of misinformation on social media?
The main ideas for this research question would be policies, misinformation, and social media. Then, think about synonyms or related concepts for each of these main ideas.
Policy: regulation, law, guideline
Misinformation: disinformation, fake news, biased media
Social media: social network, TikTok, Instagram
These words will be your search terms, which you will use when searching databases and other resources. Remember: your search terms will probably change as you go. If you're not finding what you need, you can always try a different approach. Research is a process!
You can use operators and modifiers to broaden or narrow your search. Think of your search as a set of instructions you give to a database. Operators and modifiers are ways to make these instructions more specific, which will help you search more effectively and efficiently.
| Operator | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| AND | Narrows your search by linking terms together |
policy AND misinformation This search would give you results that contain both the word policy and the word misinformation |
| OR | Broadens your search by including terms |
misinformation OR disinformation This search would give you results that contain either the word misinformation or the word disinformation or both |
| NOT | Narrows your search by excluding terms |
social media NOT Facebook This search would give you results that contain the term social media but would exclude results that contain the word Facebook |
| Modifier | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
*Asterisk |
Broadens your search by attaching to the stem of a word, then searching for all variations of that stem |
regulat* This search would give you results that contain the words regulation, regulatory, regulator, etc.
|
|
(Parentheses)
|
Encapsulates search statements for more complex searching - like a math equation! |
(misinformation OR disinformation) AND (policy OR regulation) This search would give you results that contain both misinformation or disinformation and policy or regulation. |
|
"Quotation marks"
|
Narrows your search by searching for exactly what you type inside the quotation marks |
“social media regulation” This search would give you results that contain the exact phrase social media regulation
|
You can narrow your results using filters (also called limiters). Common filters/limiters include:
After you find a source, it's important to decide if the information is trustworthy, credible, and relevant to your research. Tip: You can control some of these with search filters.
When evaluating your sources, be a PACRAT!
Check out these websites for in-depth information about different citation styles, example citations, sample papers, tips for academic writing, and more!
