Locating Information on your Topic
One of the best sources of information is the databases available through the NOVA library. Below are some tips for finding exactly what you are looking for. The next tab has links to all the databases.
Formatting Keywords
When typing words into database search boxes, you want to be as precise as possible. Think of talking to a database as talking to a two-year-old. Just like a two-year-old, the database needs explicit instructions.
To best accomplish this, there are some key conventions to use when searching in databases:
(1) Nest related terms in parenthesis, using "OR" between them. This tells the database to look for any of those terms
ex. (ethnicity OR race)
(2) Put phrases (search terms of more than one word) in quotation marks. This tells the database to look for that exact phrase.
ex. "I know why the caged bird sings"
(3) Link nested sets of related terms with AND. This tells the database to look for sources that have at least one term from each set.
ex. (ethnicity OR race) AND ("I know why the caged bird sings" or "Maya Angelou")
Creating Your Search Statements
Once you have your research question or research topic, what strategies should you use to get the most relevant results in the shortest amount of time?
