Regardless of where you are searching for information, you should probably do some planning before beginning your search. The first thing you should do before searching for information, whether in a library resource or simply on the web, is to think about your information need.
Use terms or phrases you've heard and seen in your class (from your textbook, lectures other readings, etc.) to define and describe the topic for which you want to find an article. And, although the web isn't always the preferred place to find the articles themselves, it can be a good source for useful terminology that you can use when searching an article database.
Your search topic may be relatively simple and involve a single search word or phrase. If your topic is a bit more complex, break it down into individual concepts and develop a search word/phrase for each.
Keep in mind that there are sometimes multiple terms that can be used to talk about the same topic. Brainstorm alternate terms for your original search term(s) to use if your first search attempts are unsuccessful.
For example. . .
Once you have an idea of the search terms that you want to use, think about how or if you will combine them. Sometimes it works to start with a fairly broad search on a single search term or concept. Other times you may want to use multiple search terms or concepts in a single search. There are several standard ways in which to combine search terms in a library article database.
AND
'And' is used to join the individual concepts of your topoic into a single unified search. It is used to narrow the focus of a larger, broader search.
OR
'Or' is used to combine any synonyms or alternate terms you brainstormed for the original search term/phrase. It gives the database search engine more options when running your search and it used to broaden the search.
" "
Quotation marks are used when you want to search for two words as a single phrase. It is used to broaden the scope of a search. This command also works in most Internet search engines.
The search commands can also be used together in the same search. In this example, you are telling the database search engine to look for articles that mention either competitive advantage and footwear or competitive advantage and shoes.