This section outlines techniques for conducting research. Strong research skills are important for academic success. They're also an important part of being a good digital citizen. Digital citizenship is the ability to navigate our digital environments safely and respectfully. Strong research skills are one of many tools that can help us to conduct ourselves in a safe, respectful way in digital environments. This can include knowing where to find reliable information, and how to evaluate and fact check that information, including information found on website and through social media. This section explains the process of conducting research. You can also find tips for evaluating the resources found during that research under the "Evaluating Information" tab.
Research is a process and a learned skill, and it takes time and practice to get good at it. A strong research process is made up of the following steps:
When we talk about research, it is important to talk about Google and other internet search engines. Google is a great tool for finding information that is known. Google is great for answering questions like, “who is the Governor General of Canada?”, or “what is the population of Vancouver?” Google becomes less helpful when we are looking for more in-depth or scholarly information. Why?
This does not mean that Google is a bad thing or that it should never be used! Just remember that when it comes to research, Google should not be the only tool you use. If a piece of information found on the Internet is going to be used for an essay or assignment, make sure to verify it with another reliable source, like those found in a library.
What About Google Scholar?
Google Scholar is a free online search engine that focuses on scholarly literature. Like Google, it has advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages of Google Scholar
There are a lot of great things about Google Scholar:
Google Scholar is fast and easy to use, convenient, and it can find thousands of scholarly, peer reviewed sources in seconds.
It looks similar to Google, so it feels familiar and comfortable to use.
It has tools to help with citations, finding other resources that cite the one being looked at, and for creating notifications of new publications on a topic.
Google Scholar is great for open access journals and grey literature. Library search engines do not capture gray literature very well, and Google Scholar can be an excellent way to access these resources.
Challenges with Google Scholar
Like Google, Google Scholar can present some challenges when you’re researching:
Sometime, Google Scholar has trouble telling the difference between scholarly and popular resources. It is important to read carefully to make sure that the article, book, or other resource meets the criteria of the assignment.
Google Scholar often links to articles on commercial publisher websites, and sometimes, these sites will have a paywall, meaning that payment is required to access the article.
It is important to remember that Google Scholar is an index; it is a list of resources, not a full text database. Some links may show the full text, while others show only an abstract or a description, along with a paywall.
Google Scholar might show different versions of the same article such as pre-prints, which can be different from the version published in a journal.
These challenges do not mean that Google Scholar should never be used. Think of it as one more tool in your research toolbox. Just remember that, like Google, it should not be the only tool you use. It is important to be careful and think critically, and to always verify and cite sources properly - and this is true for all research tools!
Before searching on a library’s website or on the Internet, it is helpful to have a few important pieces of information. This information will help you to make decisions as you move forward with your research. Remember that this does not need to be complicated! Just read over the assignment and make notes or highlight important points. Below are some questions that can be used to guide the planning process:
A search strategy is an organized group of words that are used to look for information in a library catalog or database. The search strategy combines all of the key ideas in the research question. Why do you need one? A good search strategy makes it easier to find useful information that is relevant to the topic of the assignment.
To create a search strategy, follow these four steps:
What does this look like in practice?
Step One: Write down the research topic into one to two sentences.
Example: I want to find information about sustainable global food security and its impact on health.
Step Two: Underline or highlight the most important words in that sentence.
Example: I want to find information about sustainable global food security and its impact on health.
Step Three: Make a list of these important words, or keywords.
Example:
Step Four: Brainstorm alternatives for each of these words.
Example: For this example, we’ve used a chart. A list or a mind map are other ways that this information can be organized. Choose the option that makes the most sense to you.
| Keyword | Alternative Words |
| sustainable | sustainability, eco-friendly, ecological, green, low carbon footprint, zero waste/ low waste |
| global | worldwide, international, world, universal |
| food security | food insecurity, food secure, access to food |
| impact | affect/ effect, influence, |
| health | healthy, physical health, mental health, wellbeing |
Why do I need to brainstorm other words?
It is important to search for different words that have the same or similar meanings. Why? In English, it is common to use more than one word to describe the same idea. For example, someone might use the word “job”, and someone else might say “work” or “career”. These similar words that have related meanings are called synonyms. The resources in a library’s catalog and databases use synonyms and related words too. It is important to try searching for these to avoid missing out on useful information. Remember that a library’s search will look for the words you type in, but it will not assume that other related words should be included too; you have to ask the search to find them.
Think about spelling variations too. A good example of this is the word “colour”, spelled with a u in Canada, but without a u in other parts of the world. Searching for different variations in spelling of the same word can help you to find more information. This also includes nouns, adjectives, and singular and plural versions of words, like Canada, Canadian, and Canadians
Finally, think about broader and narrower terms. An example of this is searching for the phrase “health care”, when researching a topic related to nursing.
What do I do with these words?
Once the list of keywords and alternative words is complete, combine these words in different ways in a library’s search or in Google Scholar. Searching for different combinations of these words will show different results.
For example, searching for "sustainable global food security" will bring different results than searching for "sustainability in worldwide food security", but results from both searches could be very useful.
What is basic searching?
When you are using a library search or searching a database, “basic searching” means that you are using one search box and a few carefully selected words to find information. The Catalyst search box on the Library’s homepage is used for a basic search:
What is Catalyst?
Catalyst is the Library’s search tool. It searched all of the Library’s resources all at once, including the physical books on the shelves and the electronic content in all of the Library’s databases.
What is a database?
A database is an organized collection of information that can be searched. Databases can hold different kinds of information, including journal articles, newspaper articles, eBooks, and streaming videos.
How do I do a basic search?
A basic search is done using the following steps:
Step 1: Preparing to Search
Before you search, you need to create a search strategy. A search strategy is an organized group of words that are used to look for information in a library catalog or database. A good search strategy will help you to find useful information that is relevant to the topic of your assignment. You can learn more about this process in the tab labelled Creating a Search Strategy.
Step 2: The First Search
Visit www.loyalistlibrary.com and find Catalyst. Take the words you brainstormed when you created your search strategy, and start typing them into Catalyst. Use only one word for each idea in your research question:
HINT! Do not include words like "journal", "article", "peer-reviewed", "scholarly", or the name of the program or course. Including these words will provide a lot of results that are not relevant.
Step 3: The Search Results
On the next screen are the results. In the centre of the screen are the resources that Catalyst has found that include your search words. On the right side of the screen are filters that allow you to narrow down the list of results. At the top of the screen is a reminder to sign into your library account.
Why should I sign in?
Signing in helps in two ways:
What is my library login information?
Your library login is the same as your MyLoyalist login. When you are signed in, your name shows up in the top right corner of the screen:
Step 4: Filtering
It is very common to get a large number of results the first time you search, especially if the search terms are very broad. Narrow down the list of results by using the filters located on the left side of the screen. These include publication date, peer-reviewed articles, formats, subjects and more. The filters you pick might depend on the requirements of the assignment, so make sure to verify what the requirements of the assignment are. Pick as many or as few filters as you need and click the green button that reads Apply Filters to add them to your search:
Step 5: Reading
To access any resource in the list of results, click on the title. This will open a new page with more information, including a call number for printed books, or a link for any electronic resources:
Step 6: Saving, Sharing and Citing
Save any library resource or the search itself, including any filters, by using the pin icon and Save Query feature. You will need to sign in to your library account to use this feature.
Once a resource or a search have been saved, click on your name in the top right corner and choose My Favourites. This opens a new page where you can see any saved resources and saved searches. Clicking on a saved search causes Catalyst to run the search again, with all search words and filters in place:
There are also tools to email, print, and share this screen, which are a great way to share resources for a group project
Finally, there is a tool to help with citations. Click the Citation button and choose the citation style required by the course or program. Catalyst will give a sample of a citation for the chosen resource in the chosen style. Remember! These citations may have formatting errors. This is because of the way publishers add information. For example, if they publish an article with a title all in capital letters, Catalyst’s citation generator will not correct this to lowercase. Always check citations using another source to make sure everything is accurate.
Need more information?
Use the handout and video below.
What’s the difference between a basic search and an advanced search?
A basic search uses a small number of carefully selected words typed into one search box to look for information. You can learn more about basic searching in the tab labelled Basic Searching. The phrase “advanced search” can mean one of two things:
1. Advanced Search Screens
An advanced search screen has multiple search boxes, and it includes filters like format and date. Often, the advanced search screen also allows you to specify where you want a search term to be located - in the title of the resource, the subject headings, and so on. This combination of multiple search boxes and filters allow you to create a more focused search.
This is an image of the advanced search screen in Catalyst. Individual databases, like PubMed and CINHAL, also have the option to use an advanced search screen.
2. Advanced Search Techniques
There are three advanced searching techniques that can be used to create a more focused search:
What is Boolean searching?
Boolean searching uses three different words to give the search software a specific instruction. These three words - also called Boolean operators - are AND, OR and NOT.
Hint! Boolean operators are always typed in capital letters.
How do I use AND in a search?
Using AND between words tells the search software to find results that include both or all of the words; you can use AND to connect more than two words. AND focuses and narrows down the search by combining words. AND is often a default in many library databases, and it is often added behind the scenes in internet search engines like Google.
In the example below, the search software is being told to find results that include the words prenatal AND folic acid AND neural tube defects. Results must include all of the search words.
How do I use OR in a search?
Using OR between words tells the search software to find results that include either the first word OR the second - or the third; you can connect more than two words with OR. OR broadens the search, and can be very helpful when you are searching for a topic that has several synonyms, like those brainstormed when you create a search strategy. (See the tab labelled Creating a Search Strategy for more.)
In the example below, the search software is being told to find results that include folic acid OR folate OR vitamin B9 OR folacin. Results must include one or several of the search words.
How do I use NOT in a search?
If there is a term you want to omit from the search results, include that word in the search, preceded by the word NOT. NOT narrows the search by removing or ignoring elements of a topic. NOT can be challenging to use, and it is important to remember that including it in a search may mean that useful information.
In the example below, the search software is being told to find results that include the word dementia, but NOT the word Alzheimer's.
What is truncation?
When truncation is used, a word ending is replaced by a symbol. Different databases use different truncation symbols so it is important to know which symbol to use. This information can often be found on the database’s “Help” screen - but if you are unsure, ask the Library. One of the most common symbols used is the asterisk. Using truncation tells the search software to search for different forms simultaneously. It increases the number of search results found, and can be very useful when you’re looking for different variations on a word.
In the example below, the use of the asterisk means that the search software will find variations on words beginning with “nurs”, like “nurse”, “nurses”, and “nursing”.
Truncation can be challenging to use! It can bring unexpected or irrelevant results, especially if the truncation symbol is placed too soon. Using the example above, if “nur*” was typed in, the search software will find results that include any words starting with the letters, “nur” - like “nursery” or “nurture”.
How do I use quotation marks in a search?
Unlike using AND, which means that the search terms could be anywhere in the results in any order, using quotation marks tells the search software to find results with exactly those words in exactly that order. This is sometimes called an Exact Phrase search.
What’s next?
These advanced search techniques can be combined into one search to build a more specific search.
Hint! Put the synonyms for each search term on a line and separate them with OR. The drop-downs on the left supply the AND that connects each group of synonyms.
Need more information?
Use the handout and video below.
Whether you're using resources from the Library or the web, it's important to evaluate what you're reading! Is it accurate? Credible? And how do you know? The Learning Portal has a great guide to help you get started.
Coming soon!
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