Now that you know what you are looking for, it's time to do your search. There are many resources to search on a topic - online search tools, library databases and catalogs - and deciding where to search is just as important and knowing what to search for. Creating an effective search also involves using your generated keywords and refining results using search tool limiters to find appropriate and relevant information to suit your needs.
Online Search Tools
Search engines, like Google, are fast and can provide an enormous amount of information on a topic or subject. However, search engines don't always connect us with reliable information, and the amount of results can be overwhelming. Instead rely on information from databases which will usually have gone through a review process. This information is compiled for a specific purpose or course and has great value.
Library Collections
Searching the Library databases are the major sources of information , increasingly published electronically. Library resources are collections specifically selected to support the research needs of all library users. These include scholarly articles, books, thesis, newspapers and more. You can access these resources through the Library's reliable, subscribed platforms.
Start by using "Search Library Resources" to search for sources. This will search almost everything the Library has in its collection by searching multiple databases at once.
See the Search Library Resources link below
It is important to select keywords or search terms, which are precise words related to a topic. Using keywords to search in Library databases is much more effective and will tailor your search to retrieve desired and needed information.
Boolean Logic
The process of linking concepts in order to narrow or expand a search. It consists of three basic commands (AND, OR, NOT).
The AND operator
It combines the search terms and narrow your results for retrievable documents.
e.g HIV AND transmission AND mother AND child AND Johannesburg
The OR operator
It connects similar terms or words with the same meaning present in the retrievable documents
e.g drugs OR narcotics, woman OR female
The NOT operator
It excludes specific terms from your search
e.g virus NOT computer
Truncation and Wildcards
Truncation
It is a technique that broadens your search to include various word endings and spellings. To use truncation enter the root of a word and enter truncation symbol at the end. The database will return results that include any ending of that root word.
e.g genetic* = genetic, genetics, genetically
Truncation symbols may vary by database, common symbols include: *, !, ? or #
Wildcards
Wildcards substitute a symbol for one letter or word. This is useful if a word is spelled in different ways but still has the same meaning.
e.g wom!n = woman, women; colo?r = color, colour
Source: Bothma, T, Cosijn, E. and Penzhorn, C. (2014). Navigating Information Literacy: Your information society survival toolkit. Cape Town: Pearson Education South Africa