HUM/SSC 237 Hite/Severson

The first step to brainstorming search terms is having an initial topic or thesis statement to work with. Not there yet? Spend five minutes choosing a focused topic, then come back here.

Ready?

Step 1. Take a piece of paper or open up a document and write down your topic or thesis statement.

Example:

Step 2. Circle or highlight the most important individual ideas that make up your topic.

Example:

Words you don't need to search for and why: 

• it, to, and, of - articles and prepositions can usually be ignored because they are so common.
• should, be, use, for, relationship - adjectives and words that indicate a relationship between two ideas can usually be ignored because they may eliminate otherwise relevant results from your search. The more search terms you add to your search, the fewer results you will get.
• pro, con, for, against - rather than using words that convey opinions about topics, use nouns that help you learn about your topic(s) from every angle.

This search tool is a free, credible, library alternative to Google. Find almost everything CCC Library has to offer to you - items in CCC Library, Summit Libraries, and most article databases. Then refine your search results to identify the best resources.

1. Enter your search terms.

1. Select Search.
2. Select Sign in and log in using your myClackamas email and password.

1. Refine your results by Availability:
   
   • Peer-reviewed - online articles published in peer-reviewed journals
   • Available at CCC - limit to print books in our collection
   • CCC Online Resources - resources you can access online
2. Refine your results by Resource Type:
   
   • Types of resources include newspaper articles, magazine articles, peer-reviewed journal articles, print books, eBooks, streaming videos, book reviews, audio files, DVDs, reference entries (dictionaries and encyclopedias), and more.
   • Think about what type of resource your instructor expects you to use on your assignment. Limit your results to just those acceptable types. 
3. Access the full text of each resource.
   
4. Click on the title of a resource to learn more about it.
   • The resource's record will appear, which tells you more about the item and how to access the full text. See an example.

Contact a CCC librarian if you have any questions!

Use these tips when you search in CCC Library databases. Your search results will be more focused and relevant to your topic!

1. Use quotation marks around phrases and search terms to search for the words in the exact order you would like, instead of separately.
   
2. Use different search boxes for each different idea that makes up your overall topic.
   

Need help with too many or too few results? Call, email, chat with, or stop by and see a librarian!

We all use it - now let's learn to use it better! Improving your Googling skills will save you time and make it easier to identify better sources of information. Tips and tricks are explained below.

1. Use quotation marks around your search terms to search for the words in the exact order you would like, instead of separately.

1. Use intitle: to retrieve webpages with your keywords in the title of the webpage

1. Use site:. to retrieve webpages from URLs in the domain (.gov, .edu, .org) you specify.  

1. Use - (a hyphen or minus sign) in front of words to exclude them from your search results.

1. Use OR in between words to have either or both of the words included in your search results. OR must be capitalized. This is a good way to search for synonyms.

In the above example, Google will find results that include (election AND fraud) and (voter AND fraud).

1. Use filetype: to retrieve specific types of files (instead of html webpages). Works for finding most file types.

1. Use several strategies at once for very specific results.

If you decide to use Google, you will need to answer the question: is this a quality source?

Well, it depends on what "it" is, and the context in which you're using it. Think about the type of information (e.g., a tweet, a painting) and what you expect of it in terms of quality and in terms of your intended use of it. We'll do this together in class.

Also, I find that asking myself these questions helps me decide if information is good to use:

1. Is there thoughtful substance to this information?
2. Can I identify an author?
3. Does this information seem trustworthy to me?
4. Do I trust the publisher of this information (could be a website, blog, magazine, corporation)?
5. If this is an opinion piece, is it fact-based or totally coming out of left field?
6. How old is this information and does that matter?
7. Could you talk about this topic around the water cooler?
8. Does this source ask questions? Is it philosophical?
9. Is the source long enough to actually share good, meaty information?