SW 302: Articles

A database is searched by creating a search query. A search query is the combination of search terms, filters, and code that you type or select before clicking the search button.

• Search terms are the words or phrases you want the search feature to look for.
  • Different databases search different parts of the text. Some databases, like JSTOR or newspaper collections, only do a full-text search. Their search features will only pull items that have those phrases in the actual text.
  • Other databases, like Academic Search complete, will search the actual text and the description of the text.
  • Many databases have multiple textboxes where you can enter multiple search terms at once. You do not need to put a term in every textbox.
  • Put phrases in "quotation marks" to search the entire phrase as one chunk.
    • deep ecology without quotation marks may result in a list of articles that use just the word "ecology"
    • "deep ecology" with quotation marks will only result in a list of articles that use that exact phrase
• Filters are selections built into the search feature. You can choose different filters to narrow down your results. Common filters are by publication date or by language.
• Code includes any special terms or punctuation to add to your search. Some search features might not understand every code.
  • ? or * are commonly use to truncate your searches. This means that a search for: read* will really search for any word that starts with read. The articles you get shown might contain the words "read," "readers," or "readmit".

This is an example of a search in Academic Search Complete:

Using Your Research Question

Turn your research question into search terms.

1. Write out your research question. How do short-term employment contracts affect hospital healthcare workers' mental well-being?
2. Identify the important words or terms. Look at the nouns that specify the scope of your topic. 
   1. What people? Contract healthcare workers
   2. Where? Hospitals
   3. What kind of issue? Mental health
3. Write out each important word/term. List synonyms or terms that have the same feel.

Using an Article You Like

Look at that article's keywords. Keywords are usually written underneath the article's listing in your search results. 

Different databases use different keywords. By reusing the keywords, you are learning to speak that database's "language".

Using Search Suggestions

Some databases will give you suggestions for search terms when you start typing in a search box. These are terms that the database absolutely recognizes. 

Sometimes, the suggestions will be several terms in the same text box, all separated by the Boolean Operator or. This means that the search engine will search for all those terms at once.

Always check before you select a string of terms. Some of the terms might not be equivalent for your specific research topic!