Andrew G. Truxal Library Tutorial title

  

Good Searching title

Effective searching takes some thought (and perhaps a little paper)

Think about what it is that you need:

  • can reference materials help you?
    example: you need to know how many babies were born in Maryland in 1996 - maybe a statistical source or an almanac can help
        

  • what broad or related subjects does your topic fit into?
    example: you need to know why some people fidget during a conversation - maybe books about non-verbal communication can help
       

  • are you trying to find a really current subject?
    example: you need to know about a scientific discovery that was on last night's news - books may not help, and you may need to ask a library staff member for current events sources
       

  • is your subject extremely narrow?
    example: you need to know what teenage girls wore in Arnold, Maryland, on November 24th, 1799 - maybe broadening your search to American fashions for women in the late eighteenth century
          

  • is your subject too broad?
    example: you need to know about history - maybe you can limit you search by location (Italy, United States, Maryland) or time period (Renaissance, nineteenth century) or you can just add more words!

Write down the search words you've already tried, so you won't repeat them.  You may also want to write down any new search ideas that come up as you continue your research.

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