Generating Search Terms for Efficient Research

Truncation and Wildcard Symbols

• The asterisk (*) is commonly used for truncation to include all variations of a word.
• The hash symbol (#) acts as a wildcard, representing variations in spelling, such as British vs. American English (e.g., “wom#n” for “woman” and “women”).

Boolean Operators and Nesting

• Nesting involves grouping search terms using parentheses to structure complex queries and clarify the order of operations among Boolean operators.
• Using "AND" between two search terms tells the system to retrieve results containing both terms, narrowing the search.
• The operator "NOT" instructs the system to exclude specific terms from the search, broadening the focus on other areas.

Generating Search Terms for Research

• The primary purpose of generating search terms is to create a targeted strategy for locating relevant information pertaining to a research topic.
• Considering additional synonyms helps to ensure a broader search that captures different terminologies that might be used in relevant literature.
• The research topic should reflect the main question or objective of the investigation to maintain focus throughout the research process.

Efficiency in Search Term Development

• Searching all words in a topic is inefficient due to the overwhelming number of results and irrelevant information that may arise.
• The first set of search terms is usually generated from initial ideas, keywords related to the research question or topic focus.

Purpose and Strategy in Search Term Development

• Adding certain synonyms when generating search terms is essential for encompassing various phrasing that may yield relevant information.
• Search terms should be carefully developed to ensure they are specific enough to yield useful results while broad enough to avoid missing important information.
• "Swinging the pendulum" refers to the practice of adjusting search terms back and forth between narrow and broad to find the right balance in results.

Searching Techniques and Their Effects

• Phrase searching using quotation marks (" ") finds results containing an exact sequence of words, improving specificity.
• Truncation with symbols at the end of a word stem provides for all variations and endings of that word, such as "run*" for "running," "runner," etc.
• The purpose of wildcard searching is to account for unknown characters in a search term, therefore enhancing the likelihood of retrieving relevant records.
• The "NOT" operator should be used when there is a need to eliminate certain terms or concepts that may skew results away from the desired focus.

Learn how to develop search terms for research and find relevant resources efficiently. Generate specific search terms from your topic to save time and avoid sifting through irrelevant materials.