FORMING A SEARCH STRATEGY STATEMENT.
Before starting to search on one of the electronic databases, it is helpful
to clarify what information you are seeking. Although you will not be charged
for searching databases available at RIT, in most workplace and personal situations
online electronic databases are fee-based. The better organized you are before
you login the quicker you can search the database and the fewer charges you
will incur. In it's most simple form there are five steps for developing a search
strategy.
- STEP 1. SUMMARIZE TOPIC
- STEP 2. IDENTIFY CONCEPTS
- STEP 3. SELECT TERMS
- STEP 4. COMBINE TERMS (Boolean Operators)
- STEP 5. COMBINE CONCEPTS
STEP 1. SUMMARIZE TOPIC.
In one or two sentences, summarize your search topic. State in your
own words what you want to find information on. It is often helpful to formulate
your topic in the form of a question. This will help you determine more precisely
what information you are seeking.
EXAMPLE:
I WANT TO FIND INFORMATION ON PREVENTING TEENAGE ALCOHOLISM.
STEP 2. IDENTIFY CONCEPTS.
Underline the main concepts in the statement above. Most searches can be
broken down into two or three main concepts.
EXAMPLE: 1 2 3
I WANT TO FIND INFORMATION ON PREVENTING TEENAGE
ALCOHOLISM.
STEP 3. SELECT TERMS.
List subject terms which describe concepts you have identified. Subject
terms can be keywords, synonyms or variant forms of a word. You can use dictionaries
and thesauri to help you in selecting the appropriate terms. NOTE THE USE OF
A TRUNCATION SYMBOL (*) WHERE APPROPRIATE. Truncation is taking the root form
of the word and indicating that you are seeking all word variants of that word.
For example, if you were looking for literary criticism on a particular author
or his/her works, you could enter the word criticism or the root form "crit"
followed by an asterisk to indicate you are also seeking word variations such
as critical, critique, criticicsms, etc.
Concept #1 Concept #2 Concept #3
Terms Terms Terms
___PREVENTING ____ ___TEEN*___ _ALCOHOL*_______
or__PREVENTION __ or_ADOLESCEN*____ _DRINKING_______
or__PREVENTS _____ or__YOUTH________ ________________
or__PREVENT*________ or______________ ________________
or________________ or______________ _________________
STEP 4. COMBINE TERMS
Connect terms in the same concept by entering them on the same line.
Separate each term by the Boolean connector OR.
concept #1: PREVENT*
concept #2 TEEN* OR ADOLESCEN*OR YOUTH
concept #3 ALCOHOL* OR DRINKING
STEP 5. COMBINE CONCEPTS
Connect the concepts by using the Boolean connector AND.
EXAMPLE: (CONCEPT #1) AND (CONCEPT #2) AND (CONCEPT#3)
(PREVENT*) AND (TEEN OR ADOLESCEN* OR YOUTH) AND (ALCOHOL* OR
DRINKING)
Adapted from example found in ED326211, "Instructional Materials for CD-ROM
Databases" by John Maxymuk, 1990.
Maintained by: Susan Mee, General Education Reference Librarian, Rochester
Institute of Technology samwml@rit.edu.
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