Tuesday, 20 November 2012

week 5

Brainstorming for search items
           There are some ways to brainstorm search items: They are
  • Selecting keywords
  • Subject headings, phrases and single words
Selecting keywords
         When you're first starting to formulate your research question, it can be useful to brainstorm keywords that are synonymous with or related to the major concepts of your topic, as well as narrower and broader terms.












Subject headings
          The official words used by catalogs and many indexes to identify all of the books or articles dealing with a particular topic are called subject headings. These use a standardized vocabulary, usually give you more specific resources on your topic. Examples of subject headings are
  1. Library Subject Headings
  2. Science Subject Headings
  3. Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms
                   
Boolean Operator
            Boolean operators are words that connect a search that may add or subtract a concept to your search. Boolean searching is combining terms such as AND, OR and NOT used in building a search statement or in putting several sets together.
Usage of Boolean searching- it allows you to group words together in an electronic database such as World Wide Web to receive a number of different types of results. Depending how you group these word, you will receive different results. It is the most common and basic search strategy.
Some of Boolean Operators are:
  • AND- which allows you limit a search(return less information)
  • OR- which allows you expand the search(return more information or matches)
  • NOT- which allows you to exclude the words.
                                                                                                                    Boolean 'AND'


     


           

        
Profession AND Ethics                     
                    

                         




      
                                                                   
                                                  
                            
                                           
                                                     
                                                  
Whales or dolphins AND Pollution AND Legislation or law
                                
                                   

                     
                       
                                                  
                                                        Boolean 'OR'


                                                  


      

  College OR University                                                                    

                                                                           
                                                                                             

                                                                                      Politics OR Election AND Media
                                              
                                                          Boolean 'NOT'



                                                    



Moths NOT butterflies                                                 Rock AND Roll NOT Beatles

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