Searching is an iterative cycle
Iteration (noun): a procedure in which repetition of a sequence of operations yields results successively closer to a desired result.
Research is an iterative cycle, meaning you may need to repeat your search several times. You will need to adapt your search strategy based on the results you receive. You may get too many results--or too few! On the first search, you may not know all the right words to use or all the right places to look. It is normal to feel uncertain and that's okay!
In this module, we will go over tips and tricks to help you with your research. You'll become familiar with the library's homepage and catalog.
In the following pages and videos, we will:
Throughout this module, you are encouraged to have the library website open in another tab or window to test out these search strategies as you learn them.
“Iteration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/iteration. Accessed 23 Jun. 2020.
"Searching is an Iterative Process." New Literacies Alliance, 27 Jun. 2018, www.softchalkcloud.com/lesson/serve/w7acp8gr3VeX9Q/html. Accessed 23 Jun. 2020.
In the following video, you'll learn how to use a combination of keywords and subject terms to search effectively for information.
The library’s website is a great place to start your research. Here is a breakdown of the different search tools available directly on the library's homepage.
The top search bar is labelled "Start Your Search". Use this search engine (sometimes referred to as the "Discover" search) to search across hundreds of databases and the Leatherby Libraries catalog. Your results will include journal articles, e-books, physical books, and even photos and videos. If you're doing research for an assignment and you need to use peer-reviewed journal articles, this is the best place to start. Simply enter in some keywords based on your topic and click Search to see your results. In the next section, we’ll explore this powerful search tool in detail.
The middle search box is for the library catalog. This will search for physical items such as books, movies, and reference titles, as well as some e-books.
The bottom search box is for the Journal A-Z List. This resource can be used to determine if we have access to a particular journal or newspaper. It can also be used to read entire issues of any journal we have access to. Please note that this is used to search for entire journals and newspapers rather than individual articles. To perform a search for articles using keywords, use the "Start Your Search" tool instead.
At the bottom of the page are some additional ways to access the many databases offered by the Leatherby Libraries. We encourage you to take some time to explore these on your own!
In the following video, you will learn how to use the Start Your Search tool on the library's website.
While the "Start Your Search" tool includes results from the library catalog, it is often faster to search the catalog directly if you know you want to locate a physical item. The library catalog can be directly accessed from the Leatherby Libraries homepage.
By using the drop-down menu on the catalog search, you can easily search by title, author, keyword, and more. If you already know the title of the book you are looking for, the title search is often the fastest way to find it.
The keyword search will bring results that have your chosen keyword(s) in either the title, author's name, subject, and/or content notes. For example, a keyword search for James Baldwin will bring up results that are both by and about James Baldwin.
To find only works written by James Baldwin, do an author search for Baldwin, James. Note that the format is last name, first name. Depending on the name, you may need to specify the author based on their birth year and (if applicable) death year before seeing the results. In the example below, there are three authors with the name Baldwin, James. Each is differentiated by their birth and death years.
From the results list, you can find out an item's:
You can also click on a title to see more information about it, such as its table of contents, summary, and subject headings.
Subject headings are a fantastic way to both learn more what an item is about as well as a way to find additional items in the library that are about the same subject. From the detailed view of an item, you can see the list of subject headings.
To find additional titles with the same subject heading, click on the blue text.
Now let’s look at another method for finding sources that you may have not considered before. Watch the video below to see how using existing bibliographies can help you find sources for your own research!
Check your understanding of Searching by completing the practice quiz below.
You may also open the quiz in a new tab or window using this link: Searching - FFC Practice Quiz