Establish your research strategy
The search technique must adapt depending on whether the search tool used is a library catalog, a specialized database or a Web browser. We often search with the first keywords that come to mind, and these are not the most effective for locating information. Thinking through a strategy beforehand makes it easier to move from one research tool to another.
Goals
- Choose the most relevant vocabulary.
- Understand the meaning of logical operators to be able to formulate your research equations.
- Apply a methodology to build a research strategy.
- These 7 steps constitute the most effective approach to implementing an effective search strategy. Integrating this working method will save time because the list of results will be as relevant as possible. Planning your search strategy well from the start will allow you to find the right keywords to easily move from one tool to another. Neglecting the richness of keywords risks missing out on relevant publications.
Using your personal knowledge and reference works, enter in each column the key words associated with each of the concepts of the subject of the work to be carried out.
Objective
- Find equivalent terms to important concepts in your topic.
concept-plan
. Question language: Don't forget to translate your concepts into English if necessary!
2. Exact phrase search: Frame with " " the relevant keywords.
3. Truncation: Add * to the end of the string of keywords that offer variations of the same word family.
4. Transpose the plane into a research equation containing parentheses and logical operators AND; OR.