Search Techniques
Searching databases and catalogues is much more productive if you have an understanding of effective search techniques. These techniques are very important for getting good search results. You should therefore take the time to understand and use them.
Keywords
Keywords are significant words from an essay topic that describe the main focus of the topic. Keywords are terms that you enter into the search field on a library catalogue, periodical database or a search engine to find relevant materials for the topic.
Activity
Use the catalogue’s Basic Search and the keywords you identified in the preparing to search activity to find relevant books on our topic.
Truncation
Truncation provides additional flexibility in searching. Remember we said earlier that computers are literal. They will not find 'bulimic' if you type 'bulimia.' Computers will not find 'violence' if you type 'violent.'
Truncation allows the computer to search for multiple endings of a word. The generally accepted symbol for truncation in online databases is an asterix (*). For the CDU Catalogue the truncation symbol is the *
EXAMPLE: music*
Finds:
musical
musician
musicians
musicality
music's
Reviewing your search
Whilst researching, it is important to regularly review your search in various respects. The catalogue will list a number of books even if you just enter a few keywords but unless you really think about your search you may find you are missing out on many useful resources or sorting through many irrelevant books.
Where you place the truncation symbol is very important. Poorly placed truncation symbols can return too many or too few search results. Look at the example searches below.
If you truncate too early you will get materials that are not relevant, for example prof* also get professor.
If you simply place the truncation symbol at the end of the terms you will not get the variations of the terms, for example professionals* will not get profession or professional.
Bringing it all together
Activity
Truncate these keywords and then practice using the Basic Search on our catalogue
Education
Instructor
Children
When we search, we use truncation to help us find more information using a single keyword.
Where would you truncate the term education (truncation symbol in catalogue is *) to ensure you got all the relevant terms?
Type your answer in the box below.
Where would you truncate the term instructor (truncation symbol in catalogue is *) to ensure you got all the relevant terms?
Type your answer in the box below.
Where would you truncate the term children (truncation symbol in catalogue is *) to ensure you got all the relevant terms?
Type your answer in the box below.
Don't forget to practice using the Basic Search on our catalogue