How to Find Sources

The key to a successful search is identifying appropriate keywords to use. Begin with only 2-3 terms. Avoid long phrases. Some strategies for identifying search terms include:

1. Write down your topic and underline the key concepts. For example: Does the use of social networking in online classes help students learn?
2. Brainstorm terms related to your key concepts. 
3. If one search term doesn't produce the results you want, try synonyms for that word.
4. Do a quick database search. View the search results page to identify relevant terms. Titles and article abstracts (summaries) include helpful terms.

An example

Sometimes it is difficult to think of effective synonyms or alternatives to the keywords you are using. If you find one good article in a library database, you can use it to identify the "academic" keywords scholars use. Click on the link to the article and you will see subject terms and author-supplied keyword. You can also look at the language used in the abstract for the article. Try your search again using some of these terms. 

For example: when searching for information about active learning strategies and chapter books for young readers, we searched using the keywords: active learning and reading. This search returned very few results and most weren't relevant. The article below was a good one. From its description, we see we should now try searching for interactive learning and literacy.