Database Searching 1

Learning Objective(s): After completing this activity, you will be able to select a database (or database set) appropriate to your topic and effectively construct a search strategy using a keyword (or combination of keywords) to find an article on your topic. If you don’t know where to start, click here to view a brief tutorial on navigating to and searching a database.

Challenge: Work with your team to complete the following:

1. Select one of the available topics and determine the keyword(s) you will type in the search box. (Hint:  Write a question you have about your topic and select the important nouns and/or verbs from that.)

2.  Navigate to a database set, choose database(s) to search and perform a search for a full-text, peer-reviewed article on that topic. (Hint:  Start at the library home page and click on what you want to find – articles.)

3. Examine your first page of results and refine your search, if necessary. (Hint: Notice the box on the left side of the results screen – it contains terms you might use to focus or re-direct your search…you can either click right on one or type “and ____” into the search box.)

Keep your results list window open – you will need to get back to it later

4. Click on “No Comments” at the bottom of the blog post and report the following:
State your topic sentence or question.  Database searched, keyword(s) used, did you find a good full-text article? – if no, why not? – Review your process and try to determine what went wrong.  (Hint:  Check your spelling, make sure you used only nouns and verbs separated by and or or, try making your keywords less specific OR if your list was too long and general, try making your keywords more specific.)