Now that you’ve chosen a more specific research question for your research, it’s much more important that your research be targeted. It’s not appropriate to pick sources that are generally about your topic–your research needs to set out to find specific answers to specific questions that you have. You want those questions answered so that you can answer your research question. 

For example, if your research question is “should voters support a change in bus routes in this county?” you would not use vague search terms, like “bus routes” in the search bar. You’ll get too many results and never end up at an answer to your question! Instead, you’ll want to identify specific things you need to know to answer that question: What is the current route? What are the proposed changes? Will this cost taxpayers money? Does this hurt or improve any group’s rights? Why were the changes proposed in the first place? Who supports these changes? By getting those questions answered, I’ll be better prepared to answer my research question. 

In order to help you find more targeted research, we will work on some research skills. These skills may help you research more effectively and efficiently. 

Please watch the Search Library Resources Video (Links to an external site.) about how to do research. You’ll then answer the questions below to prove you watched and understood the video. Then you’ll answer questions applying those concepts to real searches.

Question 10.71 ptsTo decide on keywords to search for, look for key concepts in your research question.Group of answer choicesTrueFalseFlag question: Question 2Question 20.71 ptsIt is good to search for things like “the effects of” or “the influence of” if that’s part of your topic, because that will help you find sources talking about those things. For example, you can search for “the effects of” “violence” and “video games” to find good results.Group of answer choicesTrueFalseFlag question: Question 3Question 30.71 ptsDo not use synonyms for your keywords. It’s important to only use the phrases you used in your research question.Group of answer choicesTrueFalseFlag question: Question 4Question 40.71 ptsWhen you have two terms and you want to make sure the search only shows you results that mention both terms you must write ______ between the two terms in the search bar.Group of answer choicesANDBUTORFlag question: Question 5Question 50.71 ptsWhen you have two terms and you want to make sure the search looks for sources that mention either of the two terms, but not necessarily both terms, you must write ______ between the two terms in the search bar.Group of answer choicesANDBUTORFlag question: Question 6Question 60.71 ptsI am getting very few results and I want to broaden my search. I decide that I want the database to show me any article that shows any version of a word.  Instead of only showing me sources that say “adoption,” I want it to show me any source that says “adoption, or adopting, or adopted.” What should I do?Group of answer choicesWrite “adoption AND adopting AND adopted” into the search bar.Write “adopt*” into search bar.Flag question: Question 7Question 70.71 pts(Operators are things like AND, OR, BUT, and *.) When you use Google you have to type out the operators, but many databases have operators built in.Group of answer choicesTrueFalseFlag question: Question 8Question 80.71 ptsThere is no difference between searching for Florida International University and “Florida International University”.Group of answer choicesTrueFalseFlag question: Question 9Question 90.72 ptsIf my question is “What factors determine the public’s acceptance of local wind farms?” what words would be my key concepts? (Check all that apply)Group of answer choicesPublic AcceptanceFactorsWind FarmsFlag question: Question 10Question 100.72 ptsIf my question is “What factors determine the public’s acceptance of local wind farms?,” how should I put my search terms in the search bar?Group of answer choicesPublic acceptance wind farms“Public acceptance” AND “wind farms”“Public acceptance” “wind farms”Public acceptance and wind farmsFlag question: Question 11Question 110.72 ptsDatabases allow you to see “peer reviewed” articles only. You just have to look for what box to check or what tab to click on to see only those results.Group of answer choicesTrueFalseFlag question: Question 12Question 120.72 ptsI want to look for information about climate change and its effects on sea level rise in Miami. I also know that sometimes “climate change” is referred to as “global warming”.  I also know that sometimes sources might say “South Florida” or “Miami-Dade” instead of “Miami.” What is the best way to search for these terms allowing for these synonyms?Group of answer choices”climate change” “global warming” AND “South Florida” Miami Miami-Dade”climate change” OR “global warming” OR “South Florida” OR Miami OR Miami-Dade”climate change” OR “global warming” AND “South Florida” OR Miami OR Miami-Dadeclimate change OR global warming AND Miami OR South Florida OR DadeFlag question: Question 13Question 130.72 ptsI want to search for information related to Florida International University’s rank when it comes to nursing programs. What would be the best way to enter the information into the search bar?Group of answer choices”Florida International University” AND “nursing rank”Florida International University AND Rank OR NursingFlorida International University AND rank AND nursing”Florida International University” AND rank AND nursingFlag question: Question 14Question 140.72 ptsIf I search for Oil OR petroleum AND drill* OR frack* AND “Native Americans” OR Indigenous what am I asking the database to do? Check all the commands that the search above is asking for. (Check all that apply)Group of answer choicesResults that use the words “native” and “American” must use those two words in that order and next to each other.Results can use version of the word frack (ex: fracking, fracked, etc.)Results that use any version of the word petroleum (ex: petrol)results that use ANY of the words on the list, even if it’s just one or two of them.results that use the word oil or petroleum, but results don’t have to use both words.Results can use any version of the word drill (ex: drilled, drilling, etc.)Show me only sources that has one of the first two terms AND either of the middle two terms AND either of the last two. If it doesn’t have one item from each of the three sets, eliminate it.Show me results that use the words Native American or Indigenous, but results don’t have to use both words.