When you need to find information on a topic, it's important to only use keywords when searching a database.
Example: Your research topic is " Self-driving cars are the safest option for all drivers." Rather than type all of these words into a search bar, pick out the keywords. Try searching "self-driving cars" and safety.
Watch the helpful video below for more information on how to choose keywords.
Once you have a manageable research topic and identified keywords, it's important to understand how limiters can help you find information specific to your need. Limiters are available before or after you conduct a search. Depending on the database or search engine you use, you will see different limiters. Here are some common limiters you may see...
| Source or Resource Type | If you need information from a specific type of source, this will allow you to select specific types such as articles or books. |
|---|---|
| Publication or Creation Date | Depending on your topic, it may be important that your research is current. For example, research about social media from 2000 will be very different than information published in the last few years. |
| Scholarly or Peer Reviewed | This limiter will filter your results to only include research that has been written and reviewed by experts in the field. Many instructors may require these sources for your assignments. |
| Availability | If your looking for information that is available only online, in full-text, or in print, this is a helpful option. |
| Subject | This will provide a list of subjects that may be relevant to your keyword search. If one of them is specific to your topic, clicking on one can help refine your search. |