How to modify your search to get more, better results. See what a search looks like in a Venn Diagram and in a search box. Three top tips: Truncation / wildcard * -- Read* = read, reading, reader, readership -- Magazine* = magazine, magazines Combine additional search terms with OR Look at database search terms for more ideas See this PowerPoint in YouTube with voiceover. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=CBMcsLidQPY

1. social media or social network! news gathering or newsgathering or journalis! accurac! or error!

2. Generating Good Search Terms Modifying your search to get more, better results

3. Initial Research Question (sample) Do people read online magazines differently than they do print? http://www.flickr.com/photos/crystaljingsr/3915514014/

4. Parse the Question Pick out keywords Read Online Print Magazine Consider relationship between the concepts Read & Magazines are unique concepts Link with AND Print & Online are similar concepts to each other Link with OR

5. magazine read online or print Venn Diagram of Keywords

6. Translates to “Search Engine” Which is the same as

7. Number of results?

8. read magazine 43 results at the intersection of these 3 concepts 43 online or print Venn Diagram of Keywords

9. Is That a “Good” Number? Hmmm Probably not. There should be LOTS MORE! http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1058971

10. How Do We Get More? Truncation / wildcard  * Read* = read, reading, reader, readership Magazine* = magazine, magazines Additional search terms with OR Look at database search terms for more ideas

11. read* magazine* online or print Venn Diagram of Truncated Keywords

12. Translates to Search Engine Which is the same as

13. magazine* read* 326 results at the intersection of these 3 concepts online or print … with 326 results 326

14. How Do We Get More? Truncation / wildcard  * Additional search terms with OR Brainstorm synonyms & related terms Magazine OR Newspaper* Look at database search terms for more ideas

15. magazine* OR newspaper* read* 769 results at the intersection of these 3 concepts online or print … with 769 results 769

16. Is That a “Good” Number? Hmmm Probably not. That’s too many to go through Too many “false positives” or articles that aren’t relevant http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1058971

17. How Do We Get More Refine? Truncation / wildcard  * Additional search terms with OR Look at database search terms for more ideas Use the “Subject: Thesaurus Term” on EBSCO’s left menu

18. Database Says …

19. Refine Search Same concept, different words Readership magazine*or newspaper* Internet or online or web sites Focus on online first Most common articles in this set focus on online news, so … We set aside the concept of “print” for now & will come back to it

20. readership magazine* OR newspaper* 108 results at the intersection of these 3 concepts Internet or online or web sites Different Words  108 results 108

21. Also look at “Subjects” assigned to articles you like

22. Keep Track of Search Terms Read* Readership  Readership surveys Magazine* Newspaper*  Newspapers – Research Online or Internet News web sites

23. Search with New Terms Try in different databases too CMMC PsycINFO New databases will suggest new terms, so … Lather, rinse, repeat http://www.sxc.hu/photo/110154