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Choosing & Using Sources: A Guide to Academic Research at CSU-PuebloMain MenuFront MatterResearch QuestionsTypes of SourcesMeeting Your Information NeedsSearch ToolsSearch StrategiesReading and Evaluating SourcesHow can Librarians Help?Elizabeth Christiand68b58b056fd4bd35e7e15a02d90ff0dd450aae9Sandy Hudock9b06f0a15147347b99f32c7ed0429deee18a4d50Shannon Espinozaeb38ad3dbd79ed31d048e910d9dd1e86e9040125Betsy Schippersbe9c2ad7acfc287ae67f14057d7ed4e2bda8346a
From Research Question to Search Strategy
12018-06-15T19:38:30-07:00Elizabeth Christiand68b58b056fd4bd35e7e15a02d90ff0dd450aae9306515plain2018-07-19T19:05:04-07:00Elizabeth Christiand68b58b056fd4bd35e7e15a02d90ff0dd450aae9In Chapter 2, we discussed how to transform a research topic into a research question. In this chapter, you'll practice translating your research question into a search strategy.
The Purpose of a Search Strategy
Consider how much information is available electronically. Researchers Antal van den Bosch, Toine Bogers, and Maurice de Kunder conducted a study to measure the size of the internet. You can see the results of their research at www.worldwidewebsize.com. In June 2018, the Internet was at least 4.5 billion webpages! Making a search strategy will enable you to sort through information and find exactly what you're looking for.
Scope
The term "scope" defines the breadth of the search. You can narrow the scope of your search by choosing to search in a single specialized database (see Chapter 5: Search Tools).
Search Terms
Databases will try to match your search terms exactly. By using the right terminology (gathered during the background reading stage) you can narrow results.
Advanced Search
Most databases have two types of search boxes: a basic search, and an advanced search. Advanced search allows you to construct complex searches by combining several search terms and phrases at once. You can also use advanced search to exclude certain words or phrases, further narrowing your results.
Concept Table
A concept table is a helpful tool for organizing the key concepts and terms related to your research question. Each row of the table represents a single concept. By adding the rows together, you combine all the concepts that make up your research question into a single, comprehensive search. The next sections in this chapter will walk you through the process of identifying terms for your search strategy, and at the end, you'll compile your work into a concept table.