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GEOG10 (Schmidt): Research Strategies

Search Strategies

The following search techniques can help you search more effectively in library research databases and Google search. Watch each of the linked videos to learn the technique.

Search Terms  

  • Try different search terms as they will bring back different results and some terms can yield more relevant search results than others.

Example:  when searching for farming industry, try different search terms, such as, “farming”, “agriculture”, “ranching”.

Example: predict* (searches for predict, prediction, predicting, predictor, predicted, etc.)

Example: “healthcare industry”

(If you don't search as a phrase, you may find irrelevant articles such as industry that provides healthcare.)

  • Use Boolean search technique to combine different keywords for relevant search results.

Example:                    San Diego AND telecommunication

                          AND    employment  OR  jobs

 

Search Fields

When using library research databases, you can specify the search field for each search terms. Try searching by Subject for your subject matter, search by Abstract for important concepts.

Example:                          San Francisco  (Subject)

              AND    "affordable housing" (Abstract)

 

Web Search

  • When doing a web search, enter more search terms to refine the search results. You can use phrase search and Boolean search when searching in Google.  In Google, when you enter more than one search term, the AND operator is by default, so there is no need to add AND to combine search terms. But you will need to enter the OR operator (in all caps) if you want to search either of the terms.

Example:    "Sonoma county"  economic growth  winery  OR  tourism

  • You can also limit your search results to government website or websites from organizations by using the site: command.

Example:  "Butte county" economic forecast site:.gov

 

Taking Notes & Documenting Sources

How to Take Notes and Document Sources

Note taking is a very important part of the research process.  It will help you:

  • keep your ideas and sources organized
  • effectively use the information you find
  • avoid plagiarism

When you find good information to be used in your paper:

  1. Read the text critically, think how it is related to your argument, and decide how you are going to use it in your paper.
  2. Select the material that is relevant to your argument.
  3. Copy the original text for direct quotations or briefly summarize the content in your own words, and make note of how you will use it.
  4. Copy the citation or publication information of the source.

There are different ways to take notes and organize your research. Check out this video, and try different strategies to find what works best for you. 

Wirting Guides

If you want to learn more about writing a research paper, the following tutorials may help you.

Get Organized

Research can be messy and complicated. It is important that you find a style that works best for you to stay organized from the beginning. Below is an example of a traditional index card strategy. Whether you decide to use index cards, a word document, or something else, take a look at the index card below so you know what information you should be recording while taking notes

Example of Index Card Note Taking Strategy

More strategies for taking notes including maps and outlines: