LibGuides: Information Literacy Tutorial: Section 2: Search for Information

This Section

Most often we use Google to search for information, but the information we need to complete our work is not always freely available on the web. Sometimes searching a library database is a more effective use of time. Searching library databases require using a slightly different search structure to effectively locate the information you need.

For tips about how to better search library databases, please watch the videos & read the content in this section.

Then take quiz 2.

Search Smarter

When should we Google? When should we use a library database?

How can we best search using the databases or search engines we choose?

Video by OkStateLibrary

Database Searching - Structure your search

Plan Your Search Strategy

State your topic idea as a statement or question.

Example: How has social media affected teenage girls' identity and self-esteem?

Identify your main concepts. Make a list of synonyms/similar words and related terms for each concept. These are the keywords you will later type into OneSearch or another library database. Example:

Concept 1	Concept 2	Concept 3
Social Media	teenage girls	self-esteem
Twitter	young women	confidence
Instagram	adolescent female	identity

Then decide which concepts or keywords you will search in what combination.

Think about your search limits. Do you want to limit your search to current materials or do you need a historical view? Are you looking for scholarly or popular resources? What are the requirements of the assignment? What search tool will help you find the resources you need?

Combine Keywords/Concepts

Searching databases requires a little more search structure than our average Google Search.

Always try more than one search!

You can combine your keywords using AND, OR & NOT

For more about structuring your searches in databases using AND, OR, & NOT (what librarians call Boolean Logic), watch the following videos:

Search Tips

When AND is between two words, your search results will be limited to sources that contain both words.
- For example: Twitter AND identity

OR expands your search since either word can appear in your search results.
- For example teenage girls OR young women

NOT excludes information, so it removes the word that appears after NOT from all your search results.
- For example: Twitter NOT Facebook

Use quotations (know as "phrase searching") to limit the search results. The words in quotation marks will be searched as an exact phrase
- For example: "social media"

Use an asterisk* for alternate word endings,
- For example: teach* will pull results containing teaching, teach, teacher, etc.

Use One Search to Find Books, Articles & More

Our library has access to more than 50 databases, many of them tailored for specific fields such as art, business, literature, medicine, and psychology. We have a complete list of our databases listed alphabetically or by subject on our library website.

Not sure what database to choose?

Start with Skyline College Library's

Please note: If you are a currently a student at the College of San Mateo or Cañada College please use OneSearch from your campus library websites.

https://canadacollege.edu/library/

https://collegeofsanmateo.edu/library/

OneSearch provides simple, one-stop searching for books and e-books, videos, articles, digital media, and more; it combines the contents of many of the databases our library subscribes to.

To Find books & articles in our library, use the search strategies illustrated in the previous section:
Database Searching - Structure your search.

Watch the following OneSearch video about how to:

Search
Limit your search results
Locate a book in the library
Get the full text of an article or eBook
Copy citation information

OneSearch Search Steps

1. On the Library's homepage, enter your search words into the main search box (OneSearch).

Next, click the search button or hit enter.

2. Next, a window/tab will open with your search results.

You can select options on the left side of your screen to limit your search results to specific resource types, dates and other options.

3. To view articles or ebooks you've found, you'll need to sign in "to get complete results and request items" (upper right corner).

Use the same login information you use for Canvas.

4. Next, click on the title you're interested in, and a window with more information will pop up.

To access the full text of the article, e-book or other source you'd like to view, click one of the databases (EBSCO, JSTOR, etc.) under "View Online."

For citation information for the article or other source, click "citation" above "View Online."

To email the source to yourself, use the "email" button.

Advanced Google Search Techniques

If you use Google to search for information you'll use for college papers or projects, sometimes using advanced Google search techniques can improve your search results.

Advanced Google Search Tips

To search for multiple concepts:

use ORs between words for the same concept.
- example: LatinX OR Latino OR Hispanic
use quotes (" ") around phrases.
- example: "African American"

To limit to a specific domain, use site: in front of the domain name (no spaces)

site:.edu will limit a search to just .edu sites
site:.edu OR site:.gov will limit a search to either .edu or .gov sites
-site:.com will exclude .com sites

To limit to a specific website, use site: in front of the website address (no spaces)

The Atlantic (theatlantic.com)

The New Yorker (newyorker.com)

NPR (npr.org)

New York Times (nytimes.com)

Washington Post (washingtonpost.com)

Complete search example:

site:ca.gov Filipino Population statistics

site:sfgate.com Stereotypes OR bias "Hispanic men" OR Latinos OR "LatinX Males"

Watch the video below for illustrations of these techniques.