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SOCI16039G: Introduction to Sociology

Liaison Librarian

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Kathleen Oakey

Kathleen is currently away on faculty sabbatical. Research questions can be directed to library@sheridancollege.ca for help.

Search Strategies

In most cases, you can enter a string of keywords in a search box and you will find exactly what you need. However, sometimes when searching library resources, a little more effort may be required. Try out some of these search strategies if you find you get stuck.

The most common search operators are: AND, OR, and NOT. Watch How to Use AND & OR to Search (2:51).

AND

risk factors AND smoking AND teen

  • All keywords must appear within the document or record.
  • Use AND for different keywords.
  • Decreases results.

OR

(teen OR adolescent OR youth)

  • Any keyword may appear within the document or record.
  • Use OR for similar or related keywords.
  • Increases results.

NOT

smoking NOT marijuana

  • Exclude keywords from your search.
  • Use (sparingly) when a word is used in a different context than you intend.
  • Decreases results.

Sometimes, you may find that your search produced TOO FEW results. To expand your search:

  • Look for misspelled words or typos in your search.
  • Consider adding synonyms. For example, add synonyms for teen: risk factors (teen OR adolescent OR youth) smoking
  • Reduce the number of different keywords. For example, remove population group: risk factors teen smoking
  • Try broader or more general keywords. For example, instead of 'smoking', try: risk factors AND addiction
  • Look for a "related articles" section, if any.
  • Try a different database.

Or, try one of these search tools:


Truncation
 

teen* - finds teen, teens, teenage, teenager, teenagers

  • Locates a word and its different endings.
  • The asterisk is most common, but databases may use other characters for truncation, such as ?, # or !. Look for a Help or Search Help link in the database to verify.
  • Use truncation carefully and combine it with other search terms to avoid picking up unintended words (example: smok* - returns smoke, smoking, smoker, but also smokey, smokepot, smokiest, smokeable, etc).

?
Wildcard

wom?n - finds woman, women

  • Locates words with varying spellings
  • The question mark is most common, but databases may use other characters for wildcards, such as !, *, or #. Look for a Help or Search Help link in the database to verify.

Sometimes, you may find that your search produced TOO MANY unhelpful results. To narrow your search:

  • Try more specific keywords, if possible. For example, instead of "risk factors" try an example of a possible risk factor: peer pressure AND teen AND smoking
  • Add additional keywords, such as geographic region, demographic group, language, etc. For example, add Canada: "risk factors" AND teenagers AND smoking AND Canada

Or, try one of these search tools:


Phrase Searching

"risk factors"

  • Finds two or more words as a phrase, in a specific order
  • Use sparingly, when two or more words make up a single concept

Watch Tips and Tricks: Phrase Searching (1:00)

Filters
(or Limiters)

Find only those documents or records with specific attributes. Common filters include:

  • Full-Text: Removes abstract- or citation-only records. 
  • Peer-Review: Includes only documents that have gone through the peer-review process.
  • Content Type: Includes only specific types of sources (example: newspapers, books, etc) 
  • Publication Date: Includes documents published within a date range (example: 2020-present).

Field Searching

Search for a keyword within a specific field in the database records. Common fields include: Title, Author, Subject, Publisher, Publication, Publication date.

  • Go to Advanced Search
  • Choose the drop-down menu next to the search box
  • Select the field you would like to search

Watch Refining your Search with Fields (1:22)

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