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FYSM-165 Story Mapping Colonialism (Wade)

Searching for Sources

image of a tangled arrow made out of string

Searching for sources is not a straightforward process and may require you to go back and try something different to get the results you're looking for. That said, there are some strategies that can help you find what you want faster. 

Tips for Searching

Remember! Library databases are not Google. You can't just put your entire question into the search box and get results. Follow the steps below to break your question into keywords for better searches!

1. Take your topic or research question and break it into keywords or phrases.

Ex.) How do the distinct challenges and societal perceptions faced by climate refugees in the United States impact immigration policies?

2. Think of synonyms or related terms to come up with additional keywords you could use.

Ex.) 

Keyword 1 Keyword 2 Keyword 3
climate refugees United States immigration policies
environmental refugees United States of America migration policies
forced migration America emigration
environmental migration U.S. government policies
climate migration U.S.A. public policy

Hint! Use a thesaurus and the internet to help you come up with additional keywords.

In addition to coming up with different keywords to try, using the following search strategies can help you construct more targeted searches and narrow your results to the most relevant sources faster.

Search Strings

Put the keywords and phrases you came up with together to form a "search string."

Ex.) "climate refugees" AND immigration policies AND "United States"

or... ("climate refugees" OR "climate change") AND immigration AND "United States" AND policies

AND tells the database you are looking for ALL of the listed terms and will narrow your results

OR tells the database you want EITHER of the listed terms and will help expand your results if you're not finding what you're looking for

You can also use NOT to tell the database you do NOT want to see sources with the specified term(s).

Quotes

Notice how key phrases are grouped together with quotation marks.

Ex.) "climate refugees"  /  "United States"

Using quotes tells the database to search for the words together as a phrase instead of searching for each word independently. Note that while this can be a very helpful tool, especially when you are looking for a very specific phrase, sometimes you might want to try searching for the terms without quotes. It's a good idea to try searches using quotes around key phrases and without to see which results in better results.

Filters

Filters are a useful tool in narrowing your search results to the specific type of source you are looking for. The most common filters you will likely use are:

  • Publication Date - typically you will look for sources published within the past 5-10 years, but depending on your research question or topic that range could change.
  • Material Type - this filter is helpful when you are looking specifically for books, articles, or another type of resource. Be sure to consider which resource type will best fit your needs before applying this filter.
  • Peer Reviewed - if you are looking for academic articles, you will most likely want to use the "Peer Reviewed" filter as these articles are often considered the "gold standard" of scholarly articles. 

Although these are the most common types of filters people use when searching for resources, do not limit yourself to these and feel free to explore and use other available filters as you feel are useful and appropriate for your research.

Types of Sources

What are Articles?

Articles are shorter written works that are contained or published within a larger work such as a newspaper, magazine, or journal.

When should I use Articles?

In general, articles are best used when you are looking for current, reliable information. 

Articles May be Useful When... Articles May NOT be Useful When...

 Your topic is very recent
Articles, especially in newspapers and magazines, are intended to keep people up-to-date on the latest development in various issues, so they are very useful if you are tracking new developments and progress of a topic.
Example: The most recent debate and developments surrounding the issue of gay marriage and civil unions

 You need background or overview information
You cannot trace the whole history of an issue in one magazine or journal article!
Example: Causes of the civil war in the United States

 Your topic is very narrow in scope
Sometimes you are interested in something so specific that there will not be whole books written about the topic!
Example: The correlation of SAT scores to college success in the tri-state area

 Your topic covers a long time span
When something has a long history, you may only find one aspect discussed in a magazine or journal article
Example: The impact of Brown vs. Board of Education on the public school system in the US

(Table content from WCSU Libraries "Research Basics" guide, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International License)

What are Books and eBooks?

Books are typically longer works written by experts that are self-contained or published as themselves.

eBooks are "electronic books" that have been published in a digital format.

When should I use Books?

In general, books are best used when you are looking for in-depth background information. 

Books May be Useful When... Books May NOT be Useful When...

 You need a broad overview
There are times when you want someone to explain everything to you - beginning to end. Books are very appropriate for this.
Example: An overview of the legal, moral and medical issues surrounding right-to-die

 The topic is very recent
Books take an awfully long time (years!) to get published, purchased and put on library shelves. If the issue you are researching is constantly changing, a book may be outdated by the time it arrives in the library.
Example: The latest information about the parental consent debate for underage abortions

 Your research topic is historical
Books lend themselves to topics in which the facts don't change much over time.
Example: A detailed account of the development of the civil rights movement in the United States

 You have a fairly narrow topic
Sometimes books just cover too much and offer too many perspectives.
Example: The theme of isolation and desperation in Charlotte Perkins Gillman's "The Yellow Wallpaper"

 You want several opinions from one place
You will find there are books with "collected essays" that will give you several points of view in one compact source.
Example: Commentary and criticism on Shakespeare's Hamlet
 

(Table content from WCSU Libraries "Research Basics" guide, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International License)

What are Films & Videos?

Films and videos are visual recordings that usually include audio and cover information related to a specific topic.

When should I use Films & Videos?

In general, films and videos are best used when you need a broad overview or introduction to a topic or subject. 

Films/Videos May be Useful When... Films/Videos May NOT be Useful When...

 Your topic requires witnessing real events or situations
Films and videos provide visual records of historical events, cultural practices, or natural phenomena. They allow viewers to witness situations that may be difficult or impossible to experience in real life.
Example: Analysis of delivery techniques used by Martin Luther King Jr. during his "I Have a Dream" speech

 You need credible or scholarly information
While some films and videos like documentaries or educational videos can provide factual information, they do not go through the same rigorous review process and are less reliable.
Example: Impact of social media on mental health

 Your topic includes personal testimonies
Films and videos can feature interviews with experts or individuals who have personal experiences related to your topic. This can provide valuable insights, perspectives, and storytelling elements that enhance your understanding and engagement with the subject.
Example: Impact of climate change on people living in certain areas

 Your topic covers a long time span
When something has a long history, you may only find one aspect covered in a film or video
Example: The impact of Brown vs. Board of Education on the public school system in the US

 Your topic is a comparative analysis of different forms or adaptations of a specific work
Films and videos may be relevant sources if you are comparing a written work with a film adaptation or two films telling the same story from different eras.
Example: Comparison of William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night with the 2006 movie She's the Man

 Your topic is on a complex issue requiring in-depth information
Films and videos generally have a limited runtime, which restricts their ability to cover complex or expansive topics comprehensively.
Example: Benefits and challenges of establishing universal healthcare in the United States

What are Web Resources?

Web Resources are websites, pages, or other online content that you can find just by searching the internet through your browser. Basically, anything that you can find by searching Google is considered a web resource.

When should I use Web Resources?

In general, web resources can be a helpful first step in your research to identify useful keywords to search library databases and gather basic information about your topic. 

In most cases, web resources will not be considered scholarly enough to include as sources in your research assignments.

Web Resources May be Useful When... Web Resources May NOT be Useful When...

 You are just beginning your research and need to come up with key terms to use for your searches
Web resources can provide helpful, generic background information that you can use to develop your topic and identify more specific keywords or terms for searching library databases.
Example: You need more information on the Black Panthers to determine which aspects to research for your assignment

 You need credible or scholarly information
Since anyone can publish information on the internet, web resources are generally considered unreliable because they do not go through a rigorous review process before being published.
Example: Impact of social media on mental health

 Your topic involves finding different perspectives or how different people respond to societal events or information
Since anyone can publish on the web, especially on social media platforms, web resources can be a good way to collect examples of how specific individuals feel about certain topics.
Example: How people in different societal groups reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic

 Your topic is on a complex issue requiring in-depth information
Since most web resources are not written by scholars or experts in the field, their content is likely to have less depth and analysis and instead provide only a broad overview or understanding of the topic.
Example: Benefits and challenges of establishing universal healthcare in the United States

 You need statistics usually collected by a government agency
The government collects and publicly publishes statistics in many areas including education, socioeconomic data, health, and information on foreign nations, among others.
Example: Variation in unemployment and poverty rates across the United States

 You need a source that can be verified by your professor
Web resources are not stable. Their content and location can change at any given moment, so if you require a source that your professor or reader can refer to to verify your information, you should avoid using a web resource.
Example: You quote a statistic from a Wikipedia article that later gets updated

 Your topic or assignment will benefit from the usage of multimedia resources
Web resources can include multimedia content, such as videos, images, and interactive tools, which can enhance your research.
Example: A research assignment on the cultural significance of music festivals might benefit from the inclusion of photos, video, or audio recording of such events and the people that attend them