ENG 3510 Gender and Literature - Spring 2022

Searching for information is a process.

1. Define your question or topic

2. Identify the type of information you need on that topic

Does it need to be peer-reviewed? From the last five years? Related to a certain field?

3. Brainstorm keywords and search terms

4. Decide where to search

Online? In Spartan Search? In a subject specific database?

5. Search and then adjust your search based on results

Look at abstracts to get a sense of whether a source will fit your needs without having to read the whole thing!

7. Save your finds by downloading a copy, saving the permalink, or emailing it to yourself

Keywords

Identify keywords for your topic and brainstorm narrower, broader, and related terms.

Example: Factors that affect academic performance in first-generation college students.

Boolean Operators

Typing the Boolean Operators AND, OR, and NOT into the library catalog or databases allow you to broaden or narrow your results.

Found too many results?

Add more keywords.

Adding additional keywords to your search can help to further narrow your topic.

Example: college AND first-generation students AND academic performance

Found too few results?

Use OR.

Broaden your search by using OR to link your terms.

Example: (college OR higher education OR university) AND first-generation students AND (academic performance OR student success)

Citation Chasing and "Cited By" Searching

Once you find a good article:

• Look at its References and find other articles that have cited it
• In Spartan Search, click the red arrows next to the article's title to find the article's References (the downward-facing arrow), and articles that have cited this title (the upward-facing arrow)