Good searching can shorten your research time significantly. Here are some tips from the pros:
Use quotation marks around a phrase to inform the search engine to look for exactly the phrase you enter- for example "rhetorical modes" or "youth activism".
When searching for a keyword with multiple variations (ex. "education", "educators") use the root form of the word and add an asterisk (*). This means using educat* will retrieve items that have all variations-- "education", "educators", etc.
Use the built-in database filters to focus your results- most interfaces let you limit by publication date, subject, format and more.
Approach your library searches with flexibility and variation-- try different keywords, search different databases, let your search results inform your search strategy.
Finally, ZSR Librarians are here to help you find the best sources for your research assignment!
Before getting started with research, it is a good idea to start with some background and context to the topic(s) you are investigating. The informative sources below will help you get to that information quickly.
