1. Refining Your Search
Now that you've learned how to construct a basic search using a
library database, the next step is to practice some basic strategies
for refining your search so you get what you're looking for.
Step 1: Cast a wide net, then
narrow gradually.
Look for questions in RED to complete
the worksheet for this lesson.
Searching a database is like fishing with
a net. If you cast where there are no
fish, it does no good to tighten the net.
Start your search with a few key terms
and look at your results.
If they're not a little bit on track, it
won't help to narrow until you have
better terms.
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2. For example, if you want to investigate the role that major fast food companies play
in contributing to or limiting obesity, and your first search is
| macdonalds obesity |
you might notice that none of your results are about the fast food company:
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3. Step 2: Learn from your results
Regardless of whether your results are good or bad, it's helpful to
skim them first to learn what you can about how to proceed.
Why did these articles show up
first? If you notice, the name
"MacDonald" appears as an
author in each of the first
articles.
In this case, it's just a spelling
problem. But other times, the
problem will be that the search
term just does not work very
well.
Before you start opening
articles, look at the results to
see if they make sense.
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4. When you correct the spelling (to "mcdonald's“), your results
improve immediately. But there's more: you can also start to get
other ideas about TERMS TO USE IN YOUR OWN SEARCH.
SUBJECTS are
a list of words
that are the
main focus of
the article.
Scan these in
your results to
gain new
vocabulary for
your search.
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5. SUBJECTS are the terms the database company uses to describe
articles. Your goal is to find the language THEY use to describe what
you're looking for.
Look at the
subjects in this
result.
(1)What is
another term for
“Fast Food” in
the subject list?
2) What subject
term is a
MEASUREMENT
of obesity? (2
possible answers)
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6. Step 3: Keep a running list of search
terms: new vocabulary, synonyms, and
other terms you might find helpful to
sharpen your search.
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7. Step 4: Modify your search first by using the vocabulary
you notice in the result lists.
Instead of “fast
food,” let’s try the
subject term
“convenience
foods.”
(3)Review question:
what does placing
“convenience
foods” in quotes
do?
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8. Unlike Google, in which the best results tend to show up on the first
one or two pages, library databases only sort by relevance—how well
the search terms match the documents—or by date. The best
resources are not necessarily on the first few pages!
If you get too many results to look through (for me,
that’s 100-200), you need to find a way to NARROW
your results.
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9. Narrowing Strategy #1: Subject Search
Remember in the
library catalog
subjects are listed at
the bottom of the
record. You can
actually click on them
to search just by that
subject.
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10. To search by subject, click on
ADVANCED SEARCH.
Note: Virtually all library databases
have an advanced search feature that
works similarly to the one in
OneSearch, so the principle works the (4) Try this search. Type
“convenience foods” obesity
same regardless of the database
How many results do you get?
you’re searching.
Place separate search
terms in separate boxes.
Notice the Boolean “AND”
connecting each box.
These can be switched to
“NOT” or “OR.”
(5) Now do this advanced search.
Be sure to change “convenience foods” to a SUBJECT
Search.
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11. What happened?
When you search by keyword, the database returns
anything with that word in the document—
anywhere...
When you search by subject, the database only
returns documents that have a main FOCUS on that
subject.
The next slide gives you a visual of this idea.
Remember: Subject terms are provided by the
database; you discover these by scanning your results.
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12. Keyword: Words
Appear Somewhere in
Document or Record
Subject: A MAIN TOPIC
IN THE DOCUMENT
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13. Sometimes, you can use a “controlling idea” –a subject and
perhaps another key term– and tweak your results by adding a
third term to help you answer many parts of your research
question.
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14. Narrowing Strategy #2: Source Type
After you have search terms that are
providing good results, you can narrow by
other types of sources.
In Ebsco’s databases, THE LEFT HAND
COLUMN provides many ways to narrow .

15. It helps to think
CAREFULLY
about what TYPE
of source will
best answer
your search.
Books and eBooks:
Background information
and overviews
Historical context
Extended examination of a
topic
Academic writing that
includes bibliographies or
footnotes
Magazines and
newspapers
Up-to-date information
on current events
Trends
Academic Journals:
Scholarly research
Empirical studies
Peer-review of articles
Trade Journals:
Current news, products,
trends within an
industry, practical
information
from those in the field.
(8) Look at the column on the
left side of the search results in
OneSearch. What are two other
ways you might limit your
search that you think could be
useful?
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16. Exploring Your OneSearch Results List
It's important to be able to read the details of the results list. All the articles containing our
search strategy are listed here. The default in OneSearch is to display by relevance—the results
that best match your search terms. If you want to change the order so that you see the most
recently published items first, click on the "Relevance“ setting and change it to"Date Newest."
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17. Exploring Your OneSearch Results List
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18. Exploring Your OneSearch Results List
Look at the result list below. At the bottom of the publication information, Ebsco tells you
if the complete article is available.
The item (#26) says that it has the complete article available as a PDF file. You can click on
that link and see the entire article, along with the charts and graphs. A PDF file is an exact
copy of the article as it appeared in the magazine, and you'll need to have the Adobe
Reader software installed on your computer in order to view the document. Most
computers now come automatically with this software, but if yours doesn't, you can
download a free copy.
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19. Exploring Your OneSearch Results List
Article #27 doesn't say anything about full text, which means it will have just a
summary, or abstract. However, if you need the entire article, you can still get
it! Ask the reference librarian, the person who is hired by the library
specifically to help people get the information and the sources they need. They
can usually get it for you for free from another library, through a service called
interlibrary loan!
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20. Exploring Your OneSearch Results List
Sometimes you might find the article in html format (#28). This is not an exact copy of
the article, but rather a modified version formatted to display in your browser window.
Sometimes the article won't include the graphics (charts, maps, photos, diagrams, etc).
It will just have the text of the article.
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21. Once You’ve Found an Article

22. Lesson 13 Questions
(1) What is another term for “Fast Food” in the subject list?
2) What subject term is a MEASUREMENT of obesity? (2 possible answers)
(3) Review question: what does placing “convenience foods” in quotes do?
(4) Try this search. Type | “convenience foods” obesity | How many results do
you get?
(5) Now do an advanced search, placing “convenience foods” and obesity in
separate boxes. Be sure to change “convenience foods” to a SUBJECT. How
many results do you get?
(6) Give an example of when a book might a better choice than an academic
journal when you’re researching.
(7) When might it be useful to use a magazine or newspaper instead of a book
or academic journal?
(8) Look at the column on the left side of the search results in OneSearch.
What are two other ways you might limit your search (other than source type)
that you think could be useful?
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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23. For #9-13
Try the following searches in OneSearch (via the Gavilan Library website), using Advanced
Search.
Remember, when you start searching OneSearch, you’ll be asked for your library card
number or student ID.
What number of results did you get for the following searches in OneSearch?
9. death penalty on the first line (no quotes, no limiters)
10. "death penalty" on the first line (a phrase search - use quotes!)
11. Scan the results. Which appears as a subject, “death penalty” or “capital punishment”?
12. “capital punishment" on the first line and race on the second line (phrase plus Boolean
AND)
13. “capital punishment" on the first line and race on the second line, and change “capital
punishment” to a SUBJECT search.
14. Same search as #13, but narrow your results to only Full Text and Scholarly (Peer
Reviewed) Journals
15. Same search as #14, but narrow your search further to only results published after the
year 2005.
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24. Image Credits
Slide 1: By Peter van der Sluijs (Own work) [GFDL (<span><a class="smarterwikilinkify"
href="http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html">http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html<
/a></span>) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (<span><a class="smarterwiki-linkify"
href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bysa/3.0">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0</a></span>)], via Wikimedia
Commons
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