Resources for IFS 2023: Pop Music in Literature: Research Tips

Frequently Used Resources (in order of relevance)

Remember these intersecting circles from High School Geometry? They're BACK! It's a Venn Diagram. Think about the words you search as being in a Venn Diagram. That can help you form effective searches in library resources (pssst, and Google too!).

See the capitalized words (AND, OR, AND NOT)? These are called Boolean operators. In resources like the library databases, the library catalog, and even Google, you can use those words to narrow or broaden your search.

MORE SEARCH TIPS:

• Use the double quotes to search your words as a phrase. 

• Use the * (that's shift-8) to help with endings on your words.  For example:  sing* will bring up items with the words sing, sings, singing, etc.

• Keep track of your searches.
• What was searched, what kind of search (e.g., keyword, subject heading, author), what database was searched.
• Making a printout of the first page of the result set is one method.

• Keep track of your result sets as well.
• For example, how many “hits” you got on a specific search in a specific database.

• Date your information.
• Databases are updated frequently and your counts (and information) will be out of date quickly.

• Think creatively. Think of different terms to broaden, narrow or limit a search.
• You may notice words used in citations that may help focus or expand your search.  Don’t forget to use dictionaries and encyclopedias to help you find more terms.

• Be smart!
• When subject headings or thesaurus terms are used to categorize a citation, use that subject heading to find other articles, books, etc. on the same topic.