This page explains two essential ways to troubleshoot.
If you're stuck, ask a librarian for personalized help!
Library databases search for what you ask for, even if it’s not what you meant!
Acronyms often have multiple meanings which will pull in irrelevant materials.
Example: CPS can mean Child Protective Services, Chicago Public Schools, Campus Public Safety, and more!
Find a Subject listed under another material about your topic and bring it back to your search.
In library databases, adding quotation marks around a phrase in a search specifies that those words need to be found together. Note: This is quite limiting, so use it thoughtfully!
Add some specific words to your search to narrow in on what you really want to know about.
Filters or "refinements" get rid of search results that are less relevant or appropriate for your needs.
Consider filtering by:
What other words could you use to describe this concept? Some published materials might be using different terms you haven't searched with yet.
Visit the Search Words tab of this guide for more help.
Expand the range of time you will accept results from and remove any unnecessary filters.
Sometimes less is more! The more words, phrases, or subjects you ask the database to find, the fewer sources will meet the criteria. Remove anything that isn't essential.
Include multiple options by using OR to accept multiple possible terms. Learn more about Boolean operators on the Search Strategies page.
Example: (college OR higher education OR university) AND first-generation students AND (academic performance OR student success)
Reconsider where you are looking. If searching in one collection, try another, or search across everything in the library with Spartan Search. Also, reflect on whether what you need can be found where you are searching. See the tab on this guide about choosing where to search for more guidance!
This final six minutes of our "Search Tips and Tricks" video walks through essential ways to troubleshoot a search.
Sometimes we can't find the information we imagined, but we may be able to find something just as useful.
You are writing a paper about why some people re-offend after leaving jail. You have searched for causes of re-offense and characteristics associated with re-offense.
Another approach would be to look up programs or experiences associated with reduced rates of returning to jail. In your paper, explain what this shows about re-offending.
You are looking for evidence to support the need for an increased mental health budget in a city. You have found some data about the number of people currently being helped, but you're struggling to show the number of people who have not been helped.
If the exact data you want doesn't exist, get creative. Ask yourself: What type of source would record the information I want? Who would care about the information I want?
You are making a case for the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for a specific client (an older Hispanic man with OCD and depression). Your search for all of these elements has not returned strong results. It's likely articles have not been written about this exact combination.
Instead, try to find articles that cover only a few elements of your question. You can weave these articles together in your paper or presentation to make your case.
Librarians are here to help.
Vector of ying and yang is in the Public Domain
Photograph of 8 pottery sherds found on the island of Paros, Greece, near Drios by Stagecoach17 shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Found at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paros_Pottery_sherds.jpg
