{"id":270,"date":"2014-07-25T20:09:55","date_gmt":"2014-07-25T20:09:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/writershandbook\/?post_type=chapter&p=270"},"modified":"2017-01-04T23:05:56","modified_gmt":"2017-01-04T23:05:56","slug":"7-3-choosing-search-terms","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-mcc-styleguide\/chapter\/7-3-choosing-search-terms\/","title":{"raw":"7.3 Choosing Search Terms","rendered":"7.3 Choosing Search Terms"},"content":{"raw":" \r\n
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7.3<\/span> Choosing Search Terms<\/h2>\r\n
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Learning Objectives<\/h3>\r\n
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  1. Understand how to use synonyms and topic components to expand a search.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Know how to use multiple words, quotation marks, asterisks, question marks, and parentheses to improve your search results.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Recognize how to use \u201cAND,\u201d \u201cOR,\u201d and \u201cNOT\u201d to strengthen a keyword search.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\nWhether you are searching research databases or conducting general online searches, the search terms and phrases you use will determine what information you find. Following some basic search term guidelines can make the process go smoothly.\r\n\r\nWhen searching for articles within a database, start by using keywords<\/span><\/span> that relate to your topic.\r\n

    Example: alternative energy<\/p>\r\nTo expand your search, use synonyms or components of the initial search terms.\r\n

    Synonym Example: renewable energy<\/p>\r\n

    Components Example: algae energy, wind energy, biofuel<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\nAnother technique you can use is to refine the presentation of your search terms using suggestions in the following table.\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
    Use multiple words.<\/td>\r\nUse multiple words to more narrowly define your search.<\/td>\r\nrenewable energy instead of energy<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Use quotation marks.<\/td>\r\nPlace quotation marks around two or more words that you want to search for only in combination, never individually.<\/td>\r\n\u201crenewable energy\u201d<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Use \u201cAND\u201d to connect words.<\/td>\r\nUse \u201cAND\u201d between words when you want to retrieve only articles that include both<\/strong> words.<\/td>\r\nalgae AND energy<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Use \u201cOR\u201d to choose one or the other.<\/td>\r\nUse \u201cOR\u201d to find information relating to one of two options but not both. This option works well when you have two terms that mean the same thing and you want to find articles regardless of which term has been chosen for use.<\/td>\r\nethanol OR ethyl alcohol<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Use \u201cNOT\u201d to eliminate likely options.<\/td>\r\nUse \u201cNOT\u201d to eliminate one category of ideas you know a search term will likely generate.<\/td>\r\nalgae NOT food<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Use \u201c*\u201d or \u201c?\u201d to include alternate word endings.<\/td>\r\nUse \u201c*\u201d or \u201c?\u201d to include a variety of word endings. This process is often called using a \u201cwildcard.\u201d<\/td>\r\nalternate* energy<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    alternate? energy<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Use parentheses to combine multiple searches.<\/td>\r\nUse parentheses to combine multiple related terms into one single search using the different options presented in this table.<\/td>\r\n(renewable OR algae OR biofuel OR solar) AND energy<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/div>\r\nWhen you find a helpful article or Internet site, look for additional search terms and sources that you can follow up on. If you don\u2019t have time to follow up on them all when you find them, include them in your research log for later follow-up. When possible, copy and paste terms and links into your log. When you have to retype, take great care with spelling, spacing, and most of all, attributing direct quotations to their original source.\r\n\r\nThe aforementioned tips are general ideas for keyword searching. When you are searching within a database or a certain search engine<\/span><\/span>, pay attention to any search tips or help screens that present methods that work well with the specific database or search engine. For example, you may have the option to narrow your search to \u201cfull text\u201d entries only or to refine it to texts published within a certain time frame.\r\n
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    Key Takeaways<\/h3>\r\n