ENG 090 - Dunn

AND is used to connect two or more keywords using Boolean logic. They are also known as Boolean operators.

Use AND to connect keywords that you think there is a relationship between, or are associated, such as "income AND education", or "gender AND salary". It also reduces the number of results.

Skim the title list first. When you find an interesting title, check for an abstract (brief summary) of the article, or a summary of the book, to help you decide if it will really fit your needs.

Be choosy! An article or book can contain all your keywords but still not be useful.

If you get no results or uninteresting results, use the searching  tips in the box on the left.  Also, if you have found even one interesting result, skim it for keywords or a subject term that will help you get better results in a revised search.

Here are a few tips to help you develop a good search strategy:

1. Use two or three keywords rather than a complete sentence. Example:

TOPIC: I'm interested in finding articles on the importance of photosynthesis to global ecosystem.

KEYWORDS: photosynthesis --- plants – oxygen --- light --- carbon dioxide

The other words do not relate to the core concepts of the research question and are not effective keywords.

2. Use quotation marks " " when you want to search for a phrase. Example:

"plant photosynthesis" or “C4 photosynthesis”

3. Too few or poor results? Use synonyms and related terms to find different results. Example:

"light action" in place of "photosynthesis"

“Fern” in place of “plant