Now that you have picked a topic and developed a detailed research question, you are almost ready to start searching for your sources.
Generating Keywords
We will develop keywords to narrow our search to focus in on our research question.
The Three Step Keyword Development Process
By developing strong keywords, you will be able to search for information directly related to your research question.
1: Extract single words or short phrases
Don't use complete sentences as in normal conversation to search! Leave out minor words such as articles ("a," "an," or "the") and prepositions or verb phrases ("on," "in," or "going to").
Also, use nouns (person, place, or thing) as keywords. Avoid verbs (action words) and use adjectives (descriptive words) sparingly.
2: Experiment with synonyms
Try thinking of synonyms (words that have the same meaning as another word) of our keywords. For example, we start with the word "trash," but we could also experiment with using the words "garbage" or “waste.” An online or printed thesaurus is a great place to find synonyms.
3: Think of related terms
What are some other topics or areas related to our research question? If we are having trouble finding good keywords or if we want to further refine our research focus.
For example, some related terms to "pollution" are
"acid rain," "global warming," or "refuse water."
The related terms may be more specific or less specific than the original terms in our research question. Each combination will change the number and type of results we find.
Example
Research Question: How can we predict migraines based on potential triggers?
1: Extract single words or short phrases
- Migraines, triggers
2: Experiment with synonyms
- Headache is a synonym of migraine
- "trigger factor" is another term used for trigger
3: Think of related terms
- specific types of triggers: hormones, caffeine, red wine, sleep deprivation, (and more!)
Starting to Search
Now that we have generated search terms, we are ready to start searching!
Why Use Primo, the Library Search Engine?
We are going to start in Primo, the Library Search Engine, for a few reasons. One, everything in the library search engine has been selected to be useful in academic work. This is very different for a web search, where much of the content is created to sell products or to entertain people.
In addition, Primo has specific tools that can make your research process much easier. It also hooks directly to all the paid content that the SSC Library has access to, which makes it a one-stop research destination!
Navigating to Primo, the Library Search Engine
You can find a Primo search box right on the library home page.
You can also start your search using this widget below:
When we hit "Search" or enter, a results list will load.
Make Sure to Log In!
In order to access all the resources that the SSC library provides access to, we will need to log in.
How to Log In to the Library
Library Access
(articles, eBooks, etc. from databases OR library search engine)
(loans, renewals, requests from the library search engine)
Helpful Search Tools
Now that we are logged in, we can use some of the helpful tools in Primo to refine our search and save our results.
Refining a Search
On the left hand side of the results screen, we see a menu labeled "Focus your results." If you are on a tablet or cell phone, you may need to open the "Focus your results" using the little funnel shaped filter icon at the top of the page.
OR
Say our professor had told us to only use items that were published in the last ten years. We can use the "Creation Date" filter to set a date range, and then click "Apply Filter" to remove all sources or items that don't meet this criteria. Filter are a great way to refine our search and find what we need to meet the exact requirements of an assignment.
Saving a Item or Source
Sometimes, we might want to save an item or source to come back to later. We can do this in Primo, the library search engine, by clicking on the pushpin icon on a specific search result.
As long as we are logged into the library, Primo will save these pinned items in our "Favorites" list, which is located in the top right corner next to our name.
Permalinks
Citations
Opening an Item to Find or Access the Full Text
When we find a source, article, or item we want to look at more closely, we can open the item clicking on the item title or the "Available Online" link.
Once we open the item, we can scroll down to see the databases that contain the item and, often, although not always, a short summary or abstract of the article. In this case, there is no summary or abstract, so we can open the item in the database listed under "View Online: Check for full-text." Here, it is Unpaywall.
Now, we can see the summary of the article followed by the full-text of the article. Every database is a little different, however, so you may need to find an option for a PDF to view the full article.
If one link in the item doesn't work, try the next one! If that still doesn't work, it's a great time to check out our 24/7 Library Chat for help from a real live librarian! Librarians can often track down a source even when the link does not work.