Searching
- What Are Databases?This handout describes what a library database is and how to choose which database to search within from OU Libraries website.
- Popular vs. Scholarly SourcesThis handout lists ways to differentiate between popular and scholarly sources.
- Savvy Info Consumers: Evaluating InformationThis library guide from University of Washington aims to help you in evaluating whether or not an information source is reputable and acceptable to use in your research.
- SIFT: Source AnalysisThis OU Libraries library guide walks you through using the SIFT Method to evaluate a source.
Developing a List of Keywords
Crafting a research question means relying on background information and building an understanding of the language used to talk about a topic. Like Googling to find a Wikipedia entry, the library's Discover catalog provides a quick and broad search that can help you brainstorm. Unlike Google, in a library catalog or database, it's best to type words or short phrases into the search bar instead of natural language or full sentences.
Try Describing Your Idea:
- Consider synonyms (i.e., woman vs. female)
- Consider alternate spellings (i.e., labor vs. labour or 16th century vs. sixteenth century)
- Consider broader and narrower terms (i.e., Great Britain vs. England)
- Watch out for homonyms (i.e., the word "China" as in a country or a set of dishes? The computer can't tell!)
- Sometimes there is no universally agreed upon term or phrase for a concept (i.e., motion picture, movie, film, cinema) so try multiple
- Keep in mind that older works may use language that is considered offensive today
- Subject terms in a database are different from the words you type in the search bar. Subject terms appear in the filters on the left side of the page and are tags created from Library of Congress Subject Headings. The tags can help you find more works about a topic, but the subject terms used can be outdated in some cases. Curious about this issue? Check out OU Libraries' Metadata Justice guide to learn more.