Information Research Skills USING SEARCH TERMS This module will introduce you to: How to use search terms so you can find information more quickly and efficiently, by introducing different techniques, such as wider and narrower search terms and the use of alternative words.

USING SEARCH TERMS Searching for Information Using search terms gives you greater control of either increasing or decreasing the number of hits you make in your search. It is usually best to use wider search terms with the Library Catalogue, Autolib, because it uses broader keywords. However, it is usually best to use narrower search terms when using keywords online e.g., with Google or other large databases because of the huge amount of information they contain. Check out the following slides for examples Information Research Skills

Information Research Skills Searching for Information WIDER Racial stereotypes A wider search term could be racism or prejudice. You would use a wider search term if you didn’t get any, or very few, hits.

Information Research Skills Searching for Information NARROWER Racial stereotypes A narrower search term could be racial stereotypes and the media or Asian racial stereotypes. You would use a narrower search term if you had got too many hits and wanted to lessen the number of hits.

Compare the difference in hits when you use narrower or wider keywords

Information Research Skills Searching for Information ALTERNATIVE WORDS Race Alternative search terms could be ethnic group, racial group or people. You would use alternative words if you wanted a word that meant the same thing because the word you are looking for didn’t get any hits.

Information Research Skills Searching for Information CORRECT SPELLING! Prejudiss You may not get any hits because the word is spelt wrong or you have made a typing error. You can use spell check or use a dictionary if you are not sure of the right spelling e.g. Prejudice not Prejudiss.

Google can sometimes correct the spelling mistake A spelling mistake can give you completely wrong results

Information Research Skills Searching for Information USE OF ASTERISK * If you write in teach* then it will search for all words beginning with teach e.g. teach, teacher, teaching. This is another way of widening your search or making sure that you have a wider cover of the topic.

Information Research Skills Searching for Information USE OF INVERTED COMMAS “...” FOR A PHRASE “Racial stereotypes in the media” If you use inverted commas or quotes “” round a phrase then the search will only be for that phrase and not for each individual word like racial or media. This is another way to narrow your search.

Note how the search has been narrowed by using quotation marks