Web Search Strategies in Plain English

I know we librarians are supposed to tell you that Google is an evil monster, and will get you nowhere, but that isn’t always true! Knowing how to manipulate web searches can be an excellent research skill. Take the time to watch the short video below.

The Difference Between Subjects & Keywords

A keyword is a search term (in library lingo, we call it an “access point,” because it is a means of accessing information) which will look through the entire text of a catalog record – including the title, author, subject terms, abstract, everything – for the word(s) you entered.

A keyword search can be really great if you’re just browsing, or haven’t narrowed down your research yet. It can be useful for a sort of ’shot-in-the-dark’ search… But it can also turn up a lot of extraneous records if you have a more defined research topic in mind.

If you want to narrow down your search, try using the drop down menu in the catalog and switching your search from “Keyword” to “Subject Heading.” Once you’ve entered a term, you’ll be taken to a list of headings from various different thesauri, sorted in a table. The actual headings appear as links, so choose the one you want, click, and off you go! You’ll also be able to see how many resources we have under that subject heading from the table.

A little about thesauri: In order to help organize resources, librarians develop thesauri so as to standardize the terms used to describe items. It avoids confusion, and helps to bring related resources together under one common descriptor – the subject term. They also show broader and narrower relationships between terms, helping you to quickly broaden and narrow your own subject search!

As always, feel free to ask for more information and help at the Information Desk.

Finding Periodicals – online

See also, my recent post on finding periodicals in print.

Periodicals include journals, magazines and newspapers. If you want to search for scholarly articles, old newspaper issues, literary reviews, etc. online, you can do so on the Libraries’ Homepage, under “Article Databases & More.” Use the “Find Databases” drop down menu to browse through subject areas, or find a specific database by its alphabetically sorted title.

If you’re anywhere on campus, you’re already logged-in! If you’re working off campus, you’ll be prompted to enter your last name and Student ID Number once you click “go.”

Each database has its own unique interface, but they share some common features. You can search for article titles, authors, subjects & keywords, limit your search by publication date, or include only peer-reviewed journals in your search.

Of course, the databases aren’t all the same. Some offer links to a full-text copy of articles when available. This is great! Some of them only serve as humongous, search-able bibliographies, and give citations to articles (which you can find or order in print at the library, or maybe elsewhere online). The usefulness of such databases lie in being able to quickly and comprehensively find citations to resources on a certain topic. It’s really the easiest way to find out what’s been written about your research topic. The librarians are happy to help you track down copies of books and articles, once you’ve obtained a citation.

(And remember, if you’d like us to have material(s) not available in the CUA Libraries or the Consortium delivered to the CUA Circulation Desk, just fill out an Interlibrary Loan Request.)

If you have any questions about how to use a specific database, or want suggestions on which ones would be beneficial to your research, always feel free to stop by the Information Desk.

WorldCat

Can’t find it at CUA? Not available through the consortium? What to do?!

I’d suggest trying WorldCat: www.worldcat.org

It’s just what it sounds like – a world catalog! Search for resources, enter your zip code, and see what libraries have the item(s) locally. You might be able to get a copy of something from a local public library (the DC public libraries have many metro-accessible locations), at the Library of Congress, one of the numerous Brookland-area houses of study, the University of Maryland, or any other of the countless area libraries.

And if you’d like us to have the material(s) delivered to the CUA Circulation Desk, just fill out an Interlibrary Loan Request.