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Information literacy Green UAS (ENG): 2 : Search strategy

Learn how to search, select and evaluate information quickly and systematically

2 : Search strategy

Lots of information sources (books, encyclopaedias, journals, dictionaries and other materials) are offered also online, either for free or for a fee. The libraries select information sources based on relevance and quality and make the information available for students and teachers in a structured way. For this information, we distinguish the following categories:

  • Catalogues: to search for books, magazines and journals or audiovisual materials
  • Databases: to search for articles, summaries, etc.
  • Reference works: to search for brief descriptions about concepts, people or words.

In this module, you will learn which information sources are most suitable and how to perform a good search, because having good information skills means taking a moment before entering all manner of terms in a search bar.

Looking for a needle in a haystack - https://pixabay.com/nl/naald-in-een-hooiberg-zoek-zoeken-1706106/ -  Licensed under CC0 1.0 via Pixabay

2.1 : When do I use what kind of information sources?

What should I use?

  • Reference works: to look up information about a general concept (encyclopaedia) or a word (dictionary).

Why actually?

  • Here you will find a relatively short description of your subject and often a selective bibliography.
  • As a first introduction to the subject of your paper.
  • To quickly look up something about someone or something.
  • To find new suitable search terms about your topic.

For some reference works, only a printed version is available, so you have to go to the library.

Click on the next tab for more information about searching for publications by an author or on a topic.

What should I use?

  • Catalogues: To locate print and online resources selected by the library.
  • Databases: for consulting online sources of texts, images, objects, etc.

Why actually?

  • To get to know and understand your subject yourself.
  • To study your subject in detail for the first time, the critical introduction is often very suitable.
  • To know what researchers think about your subject.
  • To know the different theories and hypotheses about aspects of your subject.
  • To test the different theories and hypotheses against the sources.

2.2 : Information sources

A catalogue contains a description of books, journals and audiovisual materials, including the location of where they are stored (the precise bookshelf location of a printed copy or a direct link to the electronic version).

Note: Most catalogues do not have journal articles, only the titles of the journals.


If you are looking for publications by an author or on a subject, you can use a catalogue to get to know and understand your subject. But also to know what researchers think about your subjects and to know the different theories and hypotheses about aspects of your subject or to test them against the sources. For the same reasons you can also use databases, see module 3.1 'databases'
 

Catalogue examples:

  • Greeni : a joint catalogue maintained by the green universities of applied sciences: Aeres, HAS and Van Hall Larenstein. See module 3.1 for more information.
  • WUR Library : a catalogue maintained by Wageningen University & Research and a number of libraries in the Netherlands. See module 3.1 tab 'WUR Library' for more information.
  • WorldCat : the largest catalogue in the world. More than 50,000 libraries based in over 90 countries cooperate to provide a joint online catalogue.

Click on the next tab for more information about databases.

A database contains bibliographic references and it may include the electronic version of scientific publications, frequently journal articles.

Types of databases: (a combination is possible)

  • Bibliographic databases: contain some bibliographic references, whether or not supplemented with a summary. Some bibliographic databases provide a link to the electronic version located elsewhere on the internet.
  • ​Full-text databases: contain not only the bibliographic references, but also the complete electronic versions. Often the full text is fully searchable. Some full-text databases contain only an archive collection (i.e. from the oldest volume, but not the newest volumes), others contain the newest volumes (e.g. from 2006–present).
  • Citation databases: contain not only the bibliographic reference, but also the link to the citations (other publications that cite this reference in the footnotes).

Database examples, see also module 3.1 tab 'Databases':

  • ScienceDirect (bibliographic and full-text database)
  • Google Scholar (bibliographic database and citation database and scientific search engine, see module 3.1 tab 'Search engines' for more information)
  • PubMed (bibliographic database)

http://librarygrits.blogspot.nl/2010/06/databases-are-like-scuba-diving.html -  Licensed under CC BY-NC 3.0 via Library grits

Click on the next tab for more information about reference works.

A reference work contains an entire series of short contributions about a work, person or concept.

You use a reference work if you are looking for basic information about a certain subject. Here you will find a relatively short description about your subject and often also a selective bibliography and new suitable search terms about your subject.

For some reference works, only a printed version is available, so you have to go to the library.

Types of reference works:

  • Encyclopaedias: provide information on people and concepts
  • Dictionaries: provide information on words

Reference work examples:

https://pixabay.com/nl/wikipedia-boeken-encyclopedie-1802614/ -  Licensed under CCO 1.0 via Pixabay

2.3 : How can I combine search terms?

It is NOT enough just to type in every possible search term at random. To find specific and targeted information about your subject, you have to combine your search terms.

There are four important techniques to accomplish this:

  1. Boolean operators;
  2. Truncation symbols (only for use in databases);
  3. Exact word combinations;
  4. Search fields.

https://pixabay.com/nl/puzzel-deel-3d-model-taak-1721271/ -  Licensed under CC0 1.0 via Pixabay

2.3.1 : Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT)

Boolean operators help narrow or broaden a search by using them between search terms. There are three Boolean operators: AND, OR, and NOT.

AND

AND means that all words must be shown;
The AND relation is used to link two or more different subjects;
This limits the search results in comparison to searching for a single term.

For example: You are looking for a camping site on one of the Wadden Islands.
The search terms and relation are: campings AND Wadden Islands (in Dutch: Waddeneilanden)

OR

OR specifies that at least one of the words will turn up in your search;
The OR relation is used when you are working with synonyms or near synonyms and different spelling variations;
The search result will be expanded in comparison to searching for one word.

For example, besides camping sites, you would also like to search for hotels.
The search terms and relation are: campings OR hotels.

NOT

NOT means that the specified word may not turn up in the results;
The NOT relation is used when you want to exclude a specific word;
the search results are limited.

For example, you do not necessarily want to go to Texel.
The search terms and relation are; Waddeneilanden NOT Texel.

Advice: 
  • Do not confuse search terms with everyday speech. If you say, 'I want to know everything about cats and dogs', you will end up searching for information about cats or dogs, or both pets. In this case, the 'and' from everyday speech acts the same as the Boolean OR operator.
     
  • If you combine several Boolean operators, use brackets. These indicate the priority of the search terms within the brackets and clarify the search. Brackets indicate which words belong together, these are often words that pertain to the same subject or that have to do with one another (e.g. synonyms, singular/plural): e.g. (camping sites OR hotels) AND Wadden islands.
     
  • Be sure to type AND or NOT with capital letters. Capital letters are often obligatory with, for instance, a search engine.

2.3.2 : Truncations symbols (wild cards)

Truncation is the replacement of a portion of a word with a wild card: the truncation symbol. This means that you search for words beginning or ending with the typed word. See the manual of the file you are searching in for which signs to use for truncation. Frequently a * is used. Other possible truncation symbols include '?' of '@'.

If you insert a truncation symbol after a word, or a part of a word, your search will be based on what you have typed and everything that comes after it. For example, sustain* provides results for: sustain, sustainable and sustainability.

If you insert a truncation symbol before a word, or a portion of a word, your search will be based on what you have typed and everything that comes before it. For example, *food will provide results for food, fastfood, biofood and seafood.

Note: The majority of databases and catalogues do not allow you to insert a truncation symbol both before and after a word.

Advice: The trick is not to truncate the word too early or too late. For example, if you're searching for information about 'demography', type 'demograph*' not 'demo*'. This search also finds demonstrate, demonstration, demones, democracy etc.

Note: You cannot truncate words if you are using a search engine.

2.3.3 : Exact word combination (phrase search)

If you only want to receive search results that contain the indicated search terms in the exact same order place your search terms between double quotation marks (".....").

This if often the case for terms that consist of more than one word, such as "food design". Without quotes it is interpreted as food AND design. With quotes it is interpreted as food design.

Advice: An exact word combination is actually a strict version of the Boolean AND operator. The search terms do, however, need to be next to one another. Another difference is that the search term order is not random; you determine it.

2.3.4 : Search fields

Advanced searches often allow you to indicate which fields you would like to search in. For instance, you can indicate that you only want to search in the 'title' field.

2.4 : How can I receive either fewer or more search results?

No one is prepared to evaluate the relevance of each individual search result when there are hundreds, if not thousands, of them. Therefore, it's wise to use a smart method to find, at a maximum, dozens of search results – without overlooking relevant search results.

See below for tips to use if you are receiving too many search results.

  • Rather than a simple search, use 'advanced search' so you can apply more filters;
  • Use the Boolean AND operator and use the OR operator critically;
  • Use 'narrower' terms;
  • Truncate the word as late as possible;
  • Limit your search to the 'title/abstract field' rather than searching all fields;
  • Limit your search to the most recent publications by filtering on publication year.

It is highly frustrating not to receive any search results. Of course, it's also possible that the database in question does not provide relevant information on your subject. Try one of the following tips if you receive little to no search results.

  • Use advanced search rather than simple search;
  • Search within all possible fields;
  • Search, if possible, in the full text;
  • Use synonyms, translations and plural forms and combine these with the Boolean OR operator;
  • Use both 'related' and 'broader' terms and combine these with the Boolean OR operator.

2.5 : Practice