Search tips
Search tips
Search tips:
- only enter your topic keywords into the search box
- use quotes to search as a phrase e. g. "climate crisis"
- use the asterisk to extend a word e. g. child* = children, childhood
- limit search results to make them more relevant:
- by date
- by format - books, journal articles, newspapers or other options
- by peer-reviewed or scholarly
This video shows some search operators in action. (Duration: 2:25)
You can also improve your searching by using three small words: AND, OR, NOT. This video shows you how. (Duration: 3:10)
Look for alternative words
| Technology | Relationships | Young people |
| mobile phones | family | teenagers |
| social media | friendships | adolescents |
| gaming | identity | students |
Try it for yourself: in Library Search use different combinations of the keywords above and see how the results vary. Then try to think of alternative search terms for words you have searched for in your course.
Utilise your readings
Most subjects will have a Reading List where you can find the assigned readings. These are useful because they have been chosen by lecturers specifically for that subject. To get good marks for most assignments, you will want to find additional sources that complement these readings. Use these tips to find more sources related to your assigned readings:
- Scan the title and abstract for interesting words and key phrases that can be used to build a search
- Look at the reference lists of the assigned readings to see what sources were used by the authors
- In Library Search and some databases, you can see other works that have cited the resource - when in Library Search, little upwards-pointing arrows next to the title will reveal sources that have cited this text
- Try looking for other things written by the same author or authors – include their names in a key word search or click the authors name from the source's 'details page' in Library Search to see what else they have written.