EDU 229 International Education
Search Tips
Apostrophes (") are your friends!
For terms that have more than one word, use apostrophes. For example, if you were searching for the direct instruction method, use "direct instruction" in the field. That will search specifically for direct instruction. If you don't use the apostrophes, you will get results that include materials where direct is in the first line of the text and instruction is in the 52nd line of the text.
Asterisk (*) is another friend!
Use the asterisk to search for multiple variations of a word. For example, using comic* will return results with both comics and comic books.
Default search fields can amp up your search!
Change the default search fields. Most helpful are:
| Field Name | What It Does |
|---|---|
| AU Author | Use this field when you know the name of the author. Try using just the last name and if that doesn't work, both first and last names. |
| TI Title | Use this field when you know the title of the item. |
| SU Subject Terms | This is a powerful field and helps to narrow down results to specific subjects. It's sometimes helpful to do some searches using keywords with the Search field to see if you can find the subject term that the database is using to describe your topic. |
Try different keywords and synonyms
When you can't find relevant items in your search, brainstorm different keywords to describe your topic. Items in our databases have subject headings and you may be using a different term than one that collects your topic. For instance, you might be searching how to empower students and you're using empowerment as a keyword, but it turns out that the database uses the word motivation for that concept.
Finding a Specific Item
When looking for a specific item like a book, use the default fields of Author and Title and filter to the specific format. Otherwise, you might get book reviews or articles about it. If you know the ISBN for the item, you can also use the ISBN field to search for the item.
Subject Terms are so helpful!
When you find an item that fits your research, click on it and look at the subject terms. Use subject terms that look relevant in your next search.
Search is an iterative process ... ... ...
It may take multiple times to find items on your topic. This is absolutely normal!
Keep track of your search!
Track how you're searching and what combinations of keywords, subject terms and fields that you've used along with how many results with each search. This is especially helpful if you need to go back to a search.
Copying URLs for items you want to share
If you find an item and you want to share it with yourself or someone else, DO NOT share the URL you see in the browser bar. That URL is vaild only for your current session. The moment you close the browser, the URL will no longer work. Instead, click on the item and then click on Permalink in the list on the right side. Copy that link and share it with everyone!
