Search Strategies
- Brainstorm Terms & Keep Search Notes
- Start Simple & Specific ~ Just a few of the best terms to start
- Broaden with OR ~ Keep ORs in a separate box – AND boxes together
Ex: Box #1 : Queer OR Homosexual OR Transgender
AND Box#2: West Africa
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- Truncate ~ Use * Ex: Poet* = poet, poets, poetry
- Use a broader term ~ Ex – Started with Cameroon try West Africa instead
- Use One Good Article to Find More
- Look at the Headings ~ The subject headings listed in the Database or Catalog
- Look at the References ~ The Bibliography at the end of the Article or chapter
- Look up in Google Scholar & check Cited by
Ex: 
- Be Iterative ~ Fancy word for Repeat
After you’ve done some searching and noted what you found and what worked, read some of the sources, take notes, then search again. You will have different ideas of what to search and notice different things in your results. Repeat again and again.
