Planning your search is key to getting the most out of your search results. The following video will help you get started.
Video length: 2 min 26 sec
The rest of this page will outline the three key steps for planning your search as discussed in this video: identify keywords, consider alternative keywords, and connect your keywords.
Typing your question into Google or the Library Website is not the best way to search.
Mapping out your search can be a good place to start:
Check the Study Help guide below for more information on instruction words.
Can you find the keywords in the two activities below?
To cover the range of terminology used in the literature, identify any synonyms or similar keywords for each concept. Consider:
Try the following to help you understand your keywords and and to find similar or alternative keywords:
Do some basic initial searching using the keywords you've already identified to see what other words are used in the papers you find.
You can also create a mindmap or table to help you brainstorm alternative keywords.
Once you have identified your keywords and found alternative keywords, you need to connect these to put your search together.
Use the following operator words, which most search tools will have, to indicate how you want the tool to search for your keywords:
Remember to use "quotation marks" to keep phrases together.
For example:
entrepreneurship AND "venture capital"