Where and How to Get Info
Keywords and Boolean Operators
Watch the following two videos (blue one first, then the purple one):
1. Understand how keywords and boolean operators help me with searching.
2. Become familiar with different databases.
Instructions at the bottom of the page will guide you through a few steps to help you find sources. Perform the searches and copy your search terms into the text boxes at the bottom of the page.
Database Guide
There are a lot of places out there to find information. Search engines do a good job at grappling with everything out in the world wide web, but that’s a lot of stuff to filter through.
Databases can help you search in a more pointed environment. It’s like walking into a shoe store instead of walking into an entire mall. You’ll find some new kicks quicker. 👟 In this section, you can learn about specific resources you have access to and why you would want to use each one.
*Use the database guide below to help you complete the assignment mentioned at the bottom of the page.
Why Use It?
Academic Search Ultimate is great place to find articles related to any academic discipline, and you have access to it because of the BYU Library (thanks, Library!). This database has many different filters that will allow you to narrow your search to get specific results. You can use it to search through specific databases related to your topic or you can use it to search across many different databases.
There are a lot of different search options and filters, but don’t get overwhelmed. These are designed to help you find exactly what you are looking for. The database also has a built in Boolean operators function.
Make sure you access Academic Search Ultimate through the library website so you get access to all of the resources they offer. You can do this by going to lib.byu.edu and typing “Academic Search Ultimate” in the search bar and selecting the first option.
Why Use It?
The library website (lib.byu.edu) is great for accessing topic-centered research guides. It is also a great resource for finding physical items to use in your researching.
Subject librarians have created wonderful research guides to aid students in their research. You can navigate to research guides from the library homepage and browse through the various categories. Each research guide contains valuable recommendations from the librarians on resources that can help you gather resources while you research.
Remember to login with your BYU credentials to gain access to online resources and place materials on hold.
Why Use It?
You’ll now see that some articles say “GET IT! @ BYU.” Just click that link to access the resource!
Why Use It?
Pew Research Center is a great non-partisan resource for finding data among public opinion and demographic trends. Its findings are available free for the public.
Like many of the other databases, Pew Research has filters that allow you to narrow your search results. You can narrow by date, type of source, region, and more.
Why Use It?
Statista is great for finding understandable statistics in over 80,000 topic areas. You can download graphs and charts directly from Statista to include in your research papers. Some statistics are included in reports and you can download those as PDFs in order to gather the information you need.
Source Mining
One of the best ways to learn while researching is to source mine. Information is always in conversation with other information. Because articles cite their sources and references, it’s easier for us to follow the conversation and find more sources. If you’re reading an article, try scrolling to the bottom and looking at the references. There, you can find relevant articles related to your area of interest! Looking at the connections between sources can help you see what different people think of others’ thoughts.
Google Scholar even has a handy “Cited by” function that lets you see how many times an article has been cited by other people. A bigger number can–but does not always–mean that the article has been pretty influential. Clicking on the “Cited by” number will also pull up the articles that use the source you’re looking at! This is a great way to learn more about what people are saying about a certain topic.
Assignment
Use keywords and boolean operators to find 2+ helpful resources in the Academic Search Ultimate database. Follow these steps:
1. Perform your first search using just one keyword related to your topic. Look at the number of results and read some of the article titles. Do they seem like they will be helpful?
2. For your second search, add a boolean operator and another keyword. Notice how the results change. (Copy what you typed in the search bar into the text box down below.)
3. Next, change either a keyword, a boolean operator, or both. (Also copy this search and put it into the text box below.) Keep adjusting things until you find 2 sources you can use to learn more about your research topic.
