Compile a list of keywords and synonyms to be used to search.
Break your topic into two or three main keywords.
Find synonyms for each, and then use the ORconnector to combine the synonyms together.
The default AND connector will combine all the concepts. See an illustration below:
qualitative or interview or focus group
AND
college or university
AND
social media or social networks
[Optional] Use Thesaurus or Subject Indexes to find synonyms or the related terms.
Start your research with the most relevant database first.
Screening the initial results to see if the keywords work. If not, modify them.
Conduct your searches and limit the results to "Peer Reviewed/Scholarly" journals. Check the "Full Text" box if you want full-text articles only.
Select the articles and then put them into the database's folder.
Export the selected articles to a citation manager like RefWorks.
Document your searches.
Evaluate results to determine the relevance to your research question.
Organize, discuss your findings and write.
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See the Screen Capture of a Sample Search below: TIPS: Use OR to expand a concept in order to get more hits.
Use AND to combine all the concepts.
Change the default searchable field to Ti Title to highlight the most important concept.
Check "Full Text" and "Scholarly" sources to retrieve scholarly full-text articles online.
