Search Strategies and Topic Analysis

This course is especially suited to students who have had limited or no experience in searching databases and electronic journals and students who are returning to study after a long break. Prerequisites: Nil.

Students will learn how to structure keyword searches using Boolean operators and how to limit, narrow and expand their searches. A selection of multidisciplinary databases and electronic journals will be used in this course.

Learning outcomes:

• The ability to analyse a topic and turn this into a set of keywords
• Skill in keyword searching using Boolean operators
• Techniques for limiting, narrowing and expanding searches
• Familiarity with the major ways in which you can output research results including saving, printing, e-mailing and outputting to reference software.

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