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Thesis and Essay Writing

Introduction to Searching

Planning your search in advance and applying effective search strategies may enable you to identify the key structure of your research. Consult your librarians if you have any questions about how to use databases. They can assist you in exploring a variety of databases in order to retrieve results efficiently.

You can adopt the strategies listed below to search for a relevant topic:

  • Searching with subject headings
  • Connecting search keywords with Boolean operators, e.g. AND / OR / NOT
  • Using truncation and wildcard searches, e.g. use an asterisk (*) / a question mark (?) for replacing one letter in a word
  • Using citation searching (e.g. reference searching) in Google Scholar

Please remember to refine and save your search!

 

Reference: Library, University of Leeds. (2017, April 19). Literature searching explained: Develop a search strategy. https://library.leeds.ac.uk/info/1404/literature_searching/14/literature_searching_explained/4

Searching skills

Spend some time defining your research topic before you begin searching. Think about what you are looking for. What search terms will help you locate the information you need?

The use of appropriate keywords and synonyms (words with similar meanings) will enable you to find manageable amounts of relevant material - not so many results that they are unmanageable and cause an overload of information, or so few that you are unable to retrieve sufficient information for your search.

Make use of whatever method you find most effective for you - brainstorming, word lists, mind maps, etc. which can help you generate ideas relevant to your topic and identify all possible search terms.

Three of the most commonly used operators are AND, OR, and NOT.  They are known as Boolean operators. They can be used to narrow or broaden a search and to exclude unwanted search terms and concepts.

“AND” helps you to narrow down your search results.

When you use “AND” to connect two search terms, each search result will contain both terms.

Searching for “gender AND China” leads to results that contain both terms “gender” and “China”.

 

“OR” helps you to broaden your search results.

When you use “OR” to combine search terms, each search result will have at least one of the terms. 

The search results for “Adolescent OR Teenager”, for example, will contain either “Adolescent” or “Teenager”.

 

“NOT” will limit your search and will exclude a term from the results.

For example, you need information regarding “Travel” but not “Tourism”.

A search for “Travel NOT Tourism” will exclude “Tourism” from the results.  

Increase search results

Wildcard Characters: Use a Question Mark (?)

 ? for a single character, e.g. wom?n →  woman, women

Truncation: Use an asterisk (*)
* for multiple characters, e.g. cultu* → culture, cultural, culturally

 

Reduce search results

Exact Phrase (Search with quotation marks " ")
Quotation marks are used to search for an exact phrase.

Almost all databases and search tools include a selection of filters on the search results page. These filters allow you to narrow your search to the most relevant results.

Functions of typical database filters:

  • Limit the results to those published in a relevant time period
  • Filter results by source type, e.g. academic journals, magazines, newspapers, conference papers, reports, and theses
  • View the results of specific publications (e.g. Harvard Business Review)
  • Filter results by associated subject “tags” (such filter is often named “Subject”)

Reviewing Search Results

The CRAAP test provides simple criteria for evaluating the quality of information. To improve the quality of the information you use in your work, you need to ask some questions about the sources you come across.    

The five main CRAAP test criteria are:

  • Currency. Is the information up to date?​
  • Relevance. Is the information you have found relevant or on-topic?
  • Authority. Does the author or website creator have the authority to speak on this topic? ​
  • Accuracy. Is the information you found accurate? Does the author provide a bibliography or a list of works cited?​
  • Purpose. What is the purpose of this piece of information?​

Currency: the timely publication of information

  • When was this piece of information published or posted?
  • Has it been revised or updated?
  • Is your topic in need of current information, or can you use older sources as well?
  • Are the web links working?

Relevance: The significance of the information for your purposes

  • Is the information relevant to your topic or does it answer your question?
  • Who is your intended audience?
  • Does the information meet your needs (i.e. it is not too elementary or advanced)?
  • Have you consulted a variety of sources prior to deciding to use the information?
  • Would you be comfortable with citing it in your research paper?

Authority: The source of the information

  • Who is the author, publisher, source, or sponsor?
  • Does the author have any qualifications or affiliations?
  • Is there any contact information, such as an email address of the publisher?
  • Does the URL offer any indication as to the author or source?

Accuracy: The accuracy, reliability, and truthfulness of the information provided

  • Where did the information come from?
  • Has the information been supported by evidence?
  • Can you verify any of the information with another source or from your own experience?
  • Does the language or tone appear neutral and unemotional?
  • Have you noticed any grammatical or spelling errors?

Purpose: The objective of the information

  • What is the purpose of the information? Is it for notification, education, promotion, entertainment or persuasion?
  • Are the authors/sponsors clear about their intentions and purposes?
  • Does the information present factual information, opinions, or propaganda?
  • Does the point of view appear objective and unbiased?
  • Is there any political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal bias?

Not sure if you should rely on the information you read?  Be sure to verify your information.  

Try these sites:

  • Politifact

    PolitiFact is a fact-checking website that evaluates the accuracy of claims made by elected officials and others who speak out on American politics. 

  • Truth or Fiction

    It is a non-partisan website where Internet users can rapidly and easily obtain information about eRumors, fake news, disinformation, warnings, offers, requests for assistance, myths, hoaxes, virus warnings, and humorous or inspirational stories that are circulated by e-mail.

  • FactCheck.org

    It is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, which verifies the accuracy of statements made by major U.S. political players in the form of television ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases.

  • Snopes.com

    It is a site dedicated to investigating misinformation and myths.

Finding Theses

HSUHK Library Databases

Theses at other Hong Kong universities

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