Part 1 (of 5) Overview of effective search strategies. - PART 1: Overview, Key concepts and keywords - PART 2: Broadening your search - PART 3: Narrowing your search - PART 4: Constructing your search - PART 5: Citation searching Part 1 covers: - Overview of search approach - Identifying key concepts and thinking about keywords.

1. Effective Search Strategies for Researchers - 1
Academic Liaison Librarian (Research)
Contact details

2. 1. Effective searching overview: key concepts
2. Broadening your Search
- synonyms, wildcards, truncation tools
3. Narrowing your search
- proximity connectors, phrase searching,
exclusions
4. Constructing your search
- grouping, search history, evaluating your
search
5. Citation Searching
Presentations summary

3. Part 1
Define your
Concepts

4. Effective Searching
Define your
information need
• What types
of resource
do you
need?
• Identify
where to
search.
• Identify
your key
concepts.
Broaden
your search
• Be compre-
hensive.
• Ensure
nothing is
missed un-
necessarily.
• “Cast your
nets wide.”
Narrow your
search
• Be focused.
• Exclude any
‘noise’.
• Ensure you
can use
your reading
time most
efficiently.
• “Use the
right nets.”
Evaluate
your results
• Identify
gaps.
• Assess un-
expected
results.
• Review
search
terms with
new knowl-
edge.
Make your
results work for
you
• Be efficient
with your
time.
• Search
alerts.
• Citation
searching.

5. - Define your information need
Effective Searching – defining your key concepts
Concept 1
Concept 3Concept 2
“Evaluating
the impact of
crime enacted
by teenagers
in the inner
city”

6. - Define your information need
Concept 1
Concept 3Concept 2
“Evaluating
the impact of
crime enacted
by teenagers
in the inner
city”
Effective Searching – defining your key concepts

7. - Define your information need
Concept 1
Concept 3Concept 2
“Evaluating
the impact of
crime enacted
by teenagers
in the inner
city”
Phenomenon of Interest
Setting
Population /
Sample
Methodology
type
Intervention
type
Time period
Object /
Classification
/ Theme
Effective Searching – defining your key concepts
See Key Concepts:
Methodologues and
Models Guide for
further information

8. teenagers crime inner city Your identified
broad concepts
around which
you will base
your search.
Effective Searching – defining your key concepts

9. teenagers crime inner city
Effective Searching – defining your key concepts
Next steps:
To identify the
different
keywords,
terms, phrases
which describe
each of the key
concepts
identified.

10. Effective Searching
Define your
information need
• What types
of resource
do you
need?
• Identify
where to
search.
• Identify
your key
concepts.
Broaden
your search
• Be compre-
hensive.
• Ensure
nothing is
missed un-
necessarily.
• “Cast your
nets wide.”
Narrow your
search
• Be focused.
• Exclude any
‘noise’.
• Ensure you
can use
your reading
time most
efficiently.
• “Use the
right nets.”
Evaluate
your results
• Identify
gaps.
• Assess un-
expected
results.
• Review
search
terms with
new knowl-
edge.
Make your
results work for
you
• Be efficient
with your
time.
• Search
alerts.
• Citation
searching.