Objectives / Contents / How to use this tutorial / Credits and Feedback
Welcome! This tutorial introduces key techniques and tips to help you get started with your research.
Objectives
After completing this tutorial, you should be able to retrieve appropriate articles from bibliographic databases by:- Formulating a search strategy
- Selecting the best database for the topic
- Using subject headings and Boolean search techniques
- Evaluating your result returns
Contents
This tutorial includes the following sections:
Resource Discovery - Discusses the difference between Internet search engines and bibliographic databases. Introduces different types of vocabulary that can be used during searches. Offers five steps important for a good search as well as some keys to sucessful results.
Search Techniques - Discusses the importance of using keywords or terms versus full sentences or phrases. Presents tips on how to expand, narrow, and combine searches.
Result Evaluation - Discusses how to evaluate your search returns and offers citations for readings on evaluation.
Sample Search - This slide show highlights a variety of search techniques across multiple resources and explains many of the situations and obstacles you may encounter within your research.
How To Use This Tutorial
To move from one section to another, click on a section name in the navigation bar that appears on the left side of every page of this tutorial.
The final section consists of a slide show which allows you to navigate through screen shots of a sample search. Use the next and previous buttons to scroll through the slides. At any time you may exit the browser to return to the main tutorial pages.
Credits and Feedback
This tutorial was created by the Health Sciences Library Education Services staff. We welcome your comments and suggestions. Please send feedback to Julia Shaw-Kokot at jsk@med.unc.edu . Thank you!
Last modified
September 7, 2004
Copyright © 2004, Health Sciences Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill