Creating a Good Search
- State your topic or research question in your own words.
- Identify the most important keywords (usually the nouns) or short, commonly used phrases.
- Think of variations (singular, plural) and synonyms for your terms.
- Create an initial search statement using connectors or logical operators (especially AND, OR) and, if appropriate, wildcards.
- Try it out in one or more databases and/or Library Catalog.
- Look for other good keywords and subject terms in search results.
- Try revised searches until you're satisfied with the results.
- Depending on the volume of results, consider narrowing or broadening your topic.
- If you're having difficulties, contact us.
Find more (broaden your results) with OR and wildcards:
ethic* or standard*
Find less (narrow your results) with AND:
newspaper* and style
Find less with NOT:
composition not writing
Find less by selecting limiters (peer-reviewed, date, etc.).
Some databases require quotation marks for an "exact phrase".
If you're not finding enough, try simplifying your search, and remove less critical keywords or concepts.
- Thesaurus.comAnswers from Roget's New Millennium Thesaurus
- Britannica This link opens in a new windowFull text academic edition of Encyclopedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster Dictionary; includes video and audio clips
- Gale eBooks (formerly Gale Virtual Reference Library) This link opens in a new window
Gale’s eBook platform provides comprehensive support from many of today’s top publishers.
(1:57) Learn how logical operators AND and OR work to help you get good results in library research databases.
(2:05) Learn how to retrieve varying forms of a word and improve search results.
Finding Scholarly Articles on Your Topic
These tutorials include practice in Neumann Library web-based resources and self-quiz questions to help you check your understanding.
- Step 1: Choose a Relevant Research DatabaseLearn how to find subject-specific and other research databases in Databases A-Z and library research guides
- Step 2: Create an Effective First SearchLearn how to choose keywords and how to use logical operators, wildcards, basic limiters, and more
- Step 3: Critically Review and Refine Search ResultsLearn how to identify scholarly articles and to find and use database subject terms, field, and other specialized limiters
See also:
What is Peer Review? What is a Scholarly Article?
Peer review is the process where experts from the same subject field or profession as the author evaluate a manuscript before it is accepted for publication in an academic or scholarly journal.
Peer-reviewed journals also may be called refereed journals.
- Anatomy of a Scholarly ArticleExplains key elements from the first & last page of a typical scholarly or academic article. North Carolina State Univ. Libraries
