I can't find what I need - I need search tips.

Answer

General Tips for Effective Searching

Quotation marks: use this trick to search for an exact phrase. Because this makes your search more specific, using quotations will narrow, or reduce, your results.

Example: A search for global warming without quotations will locate results with those two words anywhere in the document, whether they are together or not - it may find just global, just warming, and also global warming. Typing in your search as "global warming" tells the search that you only want results with that exact phrase.

Asterisk (*): use this trick to search for all possible endings to a word. That way, you don't have to spend time entering multiple searches to cover the same keyword or idea.

Example: canad* searches for Canada, Canadian, and Canadians

Prefer print books and dvds?

Use OneSearch to see what we have, and then in the left column under Availability click on In the TC3 Library.

Want only certain types of sources, or only from a certain time?

In the left column of the search results page under Tweak your results, to narrow down your results by date, item format (book, eBook, article, video, etc.), author, language, and more.

Looking for a specific article?

If you know the title of the journal where the article was published, use the Journal Title Search to find that journal and search for the title of the article within it.

Or you can use Google Scholar to search for the article title. In the Google Scholar menu, under "Settings," click on "Library Links." Search for Tompkins Cortland Community College and select the TC3 options to see which articles our library has when you search Google Scholar. If you see View this item @ TC3 to the right of a citation, then we have it.

Looking for Textbooks and other Course Reserves? Use our Course Reserve Search.

Tips for Effective Searching on Internet Search Engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, etc.)

Keep it simple! Start by typing a word or two that describe the thing, place, or idea you're looking for.

[puppy training tips]
[london dinner cruise]

Add relevant words if you don't see what you want after doing a simple search. The more specific you are with your keywords, the more the search engine can focus on finding what you want and ignoring results that don't apply.

First try: [puppy]
More precise: [puppy training]
Even more precise: [dalmatian puppy training class]

It may take several attempts to find the right words to describe your search.

Try words that a website would use to describe what you're looking for, rather than words you would use to describe it in everyday speech.

Not ideal: [my head hurts]
Not ideal: [why is my head killing me]
Better: [headache]

Use only the important words. Too many words will limit your results. Narrow it down to the word or words that describe the information you need, and get rid of extra words that don't really help (words like I/my; is/are; who/what/where/why; a/an/that; etc.)

Not ideal: [country where bats are an omen of good luck]
Better: [bats good luck]

Source: Google Basic Search Help

Too many results using the Library online search:

Is this the best database for your topic? You may find too much if you are using the library's OneSearch, which searches many different databases at once in addition to books and videos. Similarly, a multi-subject database like Academic Search Ultimate or Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL) are meant to provide information about lots of different topics, so they bring back lots of results.

Try using a subject-specific database (nursing, psychology, etc.). Be prepared to try several different databases.

If you need a subject-specific database but aren't sure which one would be best, try a librarian's recommendations on our Subject Research Guides.

Brainstorm and edit your search words - Use words that more specifically describe the information you want to find (for example, searching for golden retriever is more specific than searching for dog). If the word you tried first isn't finding the results you want, think about other ways you might say the same thing (for example, dog can also be referred to as canine or K9 or puppy.)

Too few search terms - If you only have one general keyword in the search box (for example, education), consider adding another word or two that describes more specifically what you are interested in (for example, education AND autism AND inclusion).

Use filters- Filters (such as peer-reviewed, publication date, and format) give you more targeted results.

Topic is too broad - Narrow the focus of your search. Think about the different aspects of your topic you will address and search for them separately. Then fit together the different pieces of information you find. You may need to narrow your topic if it is too large to cover in a short paper.

Example of a too-broad topic: "autism in education" is a huge topic that is more appropriate to be written about as a book than a research paper! It is made up of many different pieces - there are lots of smaller ideas that fit under the umbrella of that large idea.
Example of a more focused topic: "Are elementary teachers in the U.S. well prepared to provide inclusive classrooms for students with autism?"
- Even this focused topic can be broken down into pieces - begin to think how you could search for information on those pieces:
  - "elementary teacher preparation"
  - "inclusive classrooms"
  - "U.S. education AND children with autism"

Too few results using the Library online search:

Is this the best database for your topic? If you are using a subject-specific database (nursing, psychology, etc.), try using the library's OneSearch, or try a multi-subject database like Academic Search Ultimate or Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL). Be prepared to try several different databases.

If you need a subject-specific database, try a librarian's recommendations on our Subject Research Guides.

Edit your search words - Check spelling, and brainstorm synonyms or related terms. What's another way to describe what you're looking for? Trying a slightly different word can have a huge effect on your results.

You can use OR between synonyms to search for all of them at once (for example salary OR pay OR compensation).

Too many search terms - If you have three or more search terms, try removing one to see if your results improve.

Too many filters- Use only filters that are absolutely necessary.

Does your source have to be peer reviewed, or can you use well-known news sources, too?

Can you use books and videos in addition to articles? Sometimes, one topic may have lots of articles and very few books; another topic may have many books, but not be written about much in articles.

Your topic is too narrow - What are some broader themes of your topic?

If your topic is very recent or local, it may be difficult to find books or scholarly articles about that exact subject, because they just may not have been written yet. But you can look for sources talking about similar ideas, and apply those ideas to your topic.

Break your topic down and search for different parts separately. Then, fit together the different pieces of information you find.

Example: "effects of global warming on feeding habits of freshwater fish in upstate New York" is a very specific topic. Think bigger: "global warming" AND "freshwater fish" - see what kinds of words authors are using in the results you get from a broader search, and use those words to narrow it down from there.