Your search strategies will depend partly on which research tools you use. For example, library databases usually require that you use a limited number of search terms that are descriptive of your research topic. You may need to try different search terms and combinations of terms before you get results.
Search engines like Google tend to be less picky about your terms. However, Google search results also usually require more careful evaluation of source credibility, since it includes a larger number of sources from a wider range of places.
This page describes search strategies for general searching, as well as for databases.
Keep it simple! Start by typing the name of a relevant thing, place, or concept:
Add relevant words if you don't see what you want after doing a simple search:
It may take several attempts to find the right words to describe your topic.
Try other words to describe what you're looking for:
Use only the important words. Too many words will limit your results:
Use quotation marks to search for an exact phrase to narrow results.
Use an asterisk (*) as a truncation symbol to search for all endings to a word. (This works in most databases and in Google.)
Looking for books, print journals or media? Search the UWG Library Catalog
Can you use a limiter to focus your results? Use the facets on the left side of the search results page to limit by subject, author, language, etc.
Looking for a specific article? If you know the journal title for an online journal article, search our A-Z E-Journals List.
Or you use Google Scholar and search for the article title. If you see View It@West Georgia next to the citation, then we have it.
Looking for Class Reserves? Find Course Reserves via the UWG Library Catalog.
