Whether you are searching for books in the Five College Library Catalog, or searching for scholarly articles in a library database,
it pays to be organized as you start your search. Break down searching into a three step process.
STEP 1
Write down as much information about your topic as possible. Answer the following questions:
Then, try to summarize what you are looking for in one or two sentences.
EXAMPLE: I would like to find statistics and articles about the kinds and amounts of energy use in France.
STEP 2
Using the information in Step 1, list the main concepts of your topic.
EXAMPLE: energy, France
STEP 3
Now create a list of synonyms of your key concepts. Think broadly, think narrowly! This step is helping you expand your search
by expressing your query in a variety of ways. If you get too many results, then you can work on focusing your search.
|
energy fossil fuel* oil gas nuclear power
|
France Europe
|
Add other terms to narrow topic further: annual per capita energy consumption / annual per capita energy usage
|
You will use the word lists you developed in Step 3 to create search strategies. Use "OR" between synonyms and "AND" between
concepts. For instance:
(fossil fuel OR oil OR gas) AND France
Download this worksheet (with bonus search tips!) to help you organize your search strategy.
Have questions?
Contact Rocco Piccinino, x2951, rpiccini@smith.edu
Or use Ask a Librarian! during Reference Desk hours.
