5 Research Tips from your Librarian
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1. Develop Keywords
- Brainstorm as many terms and concepts to describe your topic as you can
- Use encyclopedias & thesauri if needed
2. "AND" "OR" & "NOT
- Combine terms with "boolean operators" to tell the database what you want to find
- AND: narrows results
- OR: broadens results
- NOT: excludes terms
3. Use Filters
- Filters help narrow your results further and work the same way they do on shopping websites
- Common filters include: date, source type, peer reviewed
4. Citations
- Many databases will provide you with a citation for articles
- HOWEVER, make sure to check these against the APA manual as often times they are improperly formatted
5. Save the PDF
- When you find a good article, save the PDF!
- Do not copy the URL from the domain bar as that will time out
- Having the PDF also mean you can read the article regardless of internet access