Suggested Keywords and Strategies
Combine your subject/topic with one or more of the following:
- data
- statistics
- analysis
- metadata
- variance
- distribution
- probability
- correlation
- variable
- algorithm
- model/s
- table(s)
- figure(s)
Examples:
housing and "land use" and (data or statistics)
green and (construction or building) and (data or statistics)
You can also combine your subject/topic with the name of a specific technique, statistical term, test, etc.
Example: "analysis of variance" and housing and construction
Use Advance Search modes in databases to limit search results to those that include data, statistics, tables or figures.
NEW UEPP Resource
NEW UEPP Resource!
Research Methods Online provides full-text access to books, journals, and encyclopedias that cover the design and use of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed research methods in the social and behavioral sciences.
Keyword Searching
Keyword Search Rules for the Library Catalog and Databases
Using AND/OR/NOT (Boolean Search Operators) |
|
|---|---|
AND |
Use AND to focus search and combine different aspects of your topic. Example: housing and sustainable development |
OR |
Use OR to expand your search and find synonyms/related terms. Example: eco-justice or environmental justice |
NOT |
Use NOT to exclude a word or phrase from your search Example: housing not rural |
Additional Search Tips |
|---|
|
"Phrase search" - Use quotation marks" " to search for a particular phrase. Example: "greenhouse gas emissions" |
|
Truncation * - Use an asterisk to find variations of a word. Put an asterisk following the root of the word to find all variations of that word, including singular and plural. Example: sustain* (finds sustains, sustainable, sustainability, etc.) |
|
(Grouping/Nesting Keywords) - Use parentheses ( ) as a way to group all your search terms together. Example: (climate change or global warming) and "sustainable development" |
See the Basic Search Tips guides for more information, including examples. Or use the Keyword Searching Worksheet to get started.
Using Google and Google Scholar
Use more words
When you search the web, a one or two word search often will find hundreds of thousands of websites. To narrow your search and find more relevant web sites, think about your topic and how people might be writing about it. Then use at least three or four keywords or concepts in your search.
Search for phrases
If you can describe your topic with words that could also be used as a phrase, narrow your search by enclosing your phrase in quotations:
"urban sustainable development"
"global warming"
Limit your search
Most search engines have advanced or expert features that allow you to limit your search. Search limits can vary depending on the features of the search engine you are using. A few common ways of limiting include:
- Type of web site or domain name (.edu, .com, .org., .gov): If you are finding too many web pages from commercial sources, you can limit to pages that come from an educational institution by typing .edu as a search limit.
- Date: You can search for pages updated within a certain range of time.
- Location: Many search engines allow you to find web pages published in a particular country.
- File type: Reduce search results by limiting to .doc, .pdf, .ppt, etc.
Google Scholar
Use the Advanced Scholar Search when searching in Google Scholar. Journal article searches can be more focused by limiting by by author, publication title, date or subject areas.
From the Google Scholar homepage, choose Scholar Preferences to link to Tufts University libraries resources.
Subject Guide
