LSU Libraries - Searching Techniques and Strategies Tutorial

CONTENTS:

Introduction
Generating Search Terms
Boolean Searching
Combining Terms
Truncation
Field Searching

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Generating Search Terms, Cont.

Once you have a general topic, you need to start refining it, make it more definite. For instance, you can't just do a research project (at least, not a good one) on "computers." There's way too much information about computers out there.

There's information on the technical aspects of computers-how they're put together, what they're made of, what kinds of software they run.
There's information on the social aspects of computers-how computer technology has changed the lives of people and the society we live in.
There's information on the financial aspects of computers: the computer industry, the people who run and own computer companies, how much computers cost and how many people are buying them.

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