Article databases, online library catalogs, and many popular search engines share several general searching techniques. Once you master these common searching techniques, you will save yourself time and find more relevant results.

The search terms or keywords you use to search are what determine the results you get. Here's a good exercise to help you generate keywords:

1. Express your topic in a topic sentence: What is the effect of television violence on children?

2. Generate keyword search terms by identifying the main ideas or concepts within that topic sentence: "What is the effect of television violence on children?" = Effect, Television, Violence, or Television violence, and Children

3. Expand your search terms by brainstorming related terms or synonyms that describe your main ideas:

• Television - media, TV,
• Violence - aggression,
• Effect - influence,
• Children - toddlers, youngsters, boys, girls

You can create complex search strategies by combining keywords using the linking words AND, OR and NOT. For example, if your search terms are mathematics and curriculum:

• AND Narrows and focuses the search results. The search mathematics and curriculum will bring only results where both the terms mathematics and curriculum are present.
• OR Broadens the search results. Using or will bring results where the term mathematics is present, or results where curriculum is present, or results where both terms are present. Or is useful if you have more than one way to refer to a concept -- Example: elementary or primary.
• NOT Excludes anything where the term after the NOT is present.

Instructors often ask students to find “scholarly”, “academic”, or “peer reviewed” sources of information for their research.  These terms all refer to the same type of information – sources based on in-depth research, and are considered higher in quality and more reliable for your research. These sources can range from chapters within books or entire books, or journal articles, but all have common characteristics that can help you recognize that type of information 

• Written for professors, students or researchers.
• Have a plain appearance and titles may include words like "Journal," "Transactions," or "Quarterly”.
• Articles are reviewed by a board of experts or "peer reviewed."
• Follow a standard format: abstract, literature review, methodology, results, conclusion, possibly footnotes, endnotes and/or bibliography.
• May include tables, graphs or illustrations to support research.
• Very little advertising.

General Purpose (Popular)

• May have a bright cover with many glossy pictures.
• Designed to attract a broad segment of the population.
• No specific format.
• Articles sometimes unsigned.
• General editors of the magazine review articles.
• May include tables, graphs or illustrations.
• Lots of advertising.

Trade/Professional publications

• May have a bright cover.
• Provide information of use to a particular industry.
• No specific format.
• Articles sometimes unsigned.
• General editors of the magazine review articles.
• Advertising is used to appeal to those in the field.