How do I plan a search strategy for my research?
Answer
Planning Your Search Strategy
- State your topic idea as a statement or question. Example: How has the Internet influenced the political participation of today's youth?
- Identify your main concepts. These are the key words you will later type in the search box.
Example:
- CONCEPT 1 Internet
- CONCEPT 2 political participation
- CONCEPT 3 youth
- It is helpful to make a list of synonyms and related terms used to describe each concept. For example, synonyms for youth could be "young adults" or "teenagers."
- Think about your search limits. Do you want to limit your search to current materials or do you need a broader historical view? Are you looking for scholarly or popular resources? What are the requirements of the assignment?
- Use ReedSearch or choose a more relevant database from the list of Reed's databases.
- Search!
Questions? Make an individual research appointment with one of our reference librarians, or call (716) 673-3222.