Search Technique and Methods

Now you already know what kind of sources of information are included in scientific publication and how to select search terms for your research topic. However, search terms as such do not always guarantee sufficiently comprehensive search results for scientific purposes. That’s why you can and should further develop your search terms.  

In the Search Technique and Methods section of the guide, you will learn methods that help you create search phrases and refine the information retrieval process. For example, phrase search, word truncation and wildcards help you with the spelling of search terms, and you can use alternative and limiting search terms to edit your search phrase and control the scope of the information retrieval. The search fields, in turn, allow your search to be more specific.  

When your search phrase starts to take shape, you can try different search methods and evaluate the success of the search. There is no need to worry if the searches are not successful right away or if they do not bring the desired results — information retrieval is rarely straightforward, and taking steps backwards is part of the process.   

In this part, you will find five sections. You can move to them directly from the links below: