library.think.edu.au
Database
Searching
Skills
Outcomes
At the end of the workshop, you should be able to:
• search more efficiently
• get better results
• know where to look
• be less anxious about your research
•What information am I looking for?
•Where will I find the information
•How will I get there?
•How good is the information?
•How will I ethically use the information
“Finding information is hard….”
What type of information do I need, & where do I find it?
• Definition
• Basic overview
• Statistics etc.
Information type
• Book
• Govt. publications
• Wiki
• youtube
General source
• Library catalogue
How to find it
When do I need to use a database?
Bibliographic database
(aka “Literature database”)
indexed articles, subject specific
e.g.: Ebsco, Proquest
• Recent information
• Research
• Scholarly articles
Information type
• Academic literature
• Journal articles
• Theses, reports etc
General source
• Databases
• Google Scholar
How to find it
Ebsco
GaleProquest
•Only Open Source full text journals
•Google Scholar
•Digital repositories
•Paid content = more full text available
•Not as broad coverage of journal articles
FREE
•THINKEducationsubscription
1. Define your topic
2. Determine your search strategy
3. Find your citations
4. Get the full text article
Steps in finding information
how?!
Yes, but ……
Database Full Text?
• Yes - YAY!
• No (see below)
Available at THINK?
• Check library catalogue
• Ejournal? Print journal? Other database
• Check Google Scholar
Submit article
request
• Make sure you really need it
• Usually free, but occasionally not
• Can take up to 2 weeks so allow time
Steps in finding full text article
1. Define the keywords you can use
2. Start broad, progressively narrow down
3. Use search building techniques – synonyms, limiters
4. Note ‘clues’ in your results – jargon, exclusion terms etc.
5. Understand what your results mean
6. Repeat your search – be persistent, think laterally
Search strategy
Define keywords
• Topic analysis
• Keywords
• Synonyms, jargon, Latin form
• Context
Search building
• Phrase searching
• AND, OR, NOT
• Similar and Citing articles
UseLimiters
• Time frame (recent? historical? trending?)
• Type of literature (review article, clinical trials, news?)
• Gender , age, population , language
after….
before….
during….
So, in summary:
Search is an exercise in persistance!
If you don’t feel you’re getting results
Change databases Change keywords Change tactics
Ask your librarian for help – we’re experts!
Review search results – again!
Example search strategyPutting the theory to work.
“Discuss how Indigenous groups can be involved in Australian tourism ”
• Aborignal
• Aborigines
• Torres Strait Islanders
• Globally?
• Australia?
• Current? Historical? Trends?
• “case study”
• “indigenous Australians”
Phrases Context
Synonyms
Boolean Truncation Phrase searching• AND• NOT• OR
Using these in your search can force exclusions or inclusions
e.g: tablet NOT computer
child*
Searches for:
• children• childhood• childlike
Compare this googlesearch:
indigenous tourism= 5,000,000+ results
“indigenous tourism”= 120,000 results
Simply phrasing your search can focus your results enormously.
Some search techniques
Use Advanced Search
Almost all databases and search engines have advanced search options
Provides many more fields to
help you refine your search
Use limits effectively
Use the limits
provided,
when you can
Use limitseffectively
Reading your results
1. Suggested subjects
2. Type of document
3. Abstract or Full text
4. Abstract text
5. Refining options
Reading your results
Making use of the functions
available, helps you keep
organised while researching.