LibGuides: ENGL 101 English Composition 1 (Theme: Work): Research Step 3: Strategize How to Find Sources with Keywords (Books, Articles, & More)

How to Find Sources with Keywords & Subject Terms

Finding Books in the Library

Use the link to the catalog below to search for books. And notice the instructions below on how to locate the books, either online, or physically in the library.

Holman Library Catalog (Books / Videos)
Search electronic and physical books and videos available from the Holman Library.

So you've looked up a book in the library's catalog, but now what? How do you find it?

Here's what you need to know. After searching in the library's catalog, you will see a results page like the one in the image below. Under the title of the book, you'll see more information.

More specifically...

You'll see a location and call number like this: Available at Holman Library Main Collection 363.738 C639 2011
Just write down this location and number. It's the Call number or address for the book on the shelves

If the book is an online, or ebook, you'll see a link to "view online"
- Just click the link and sign in with your student info, if prompted, and you'll be taken to the ebook in a database

Sample Search for books on a living wage: (click on image to enlarge)

book search Living Wage

Each shelf in the library has a set of call numbers so you can take the number you wrote down from the catalog and use it to locate the print book. Stop by the reference desk and get help from a librarian; we're happy to help you find books in the library!

Picking the Right Book

To help you select a book from the results list, click on a title to learn more about a book. Look for the following:

Date published: Is it current enough? For example, books on global warming from the 1990s are not current enough!
Description and/or Contents: This section indicates what a book is about, which helps you determine if the book is relevant. Often you can even see the chapters listed out, which can also tell you more about the book's contents. You can also tell if the book is a collection of essays. Essays may be useful for short writing assignments.
Subjects: Are the Subjects of the book on your topic? These subjects are how the catalog organizes and searches for content. Trying clicking on a relevant one to find other possibly useful titles!
Availability: If the book is in print, is it available? If you are taking an online class, is this an e-book? Look at the information on the record to learn more.

Image of Print Book record with shelf location, subjects, description and contents:

Image of eBook record with link to ebook database and subjects:

Searching Library Databases for Articles

Walk through the two steps below to learn how to search a database and select appropriate articles.

This search is for Academic Search Complete, but you will use many of the same techniques for other databases.

Step 1:

Select a Database (sample: Academic Search Complete) and Type in Search Terms

Sample Search: Amazon AND union*

Asterisk will search for unions OR unionization OR unionize.
Use the "Advanced Search" to give you more control when you search.
Brainstorm different keywords that could address the same ideas: for ex, strikes, labor protests, etc.

(click on image to enlarge)

Academic Search Complete: amazon AND union*

Using AND between your search terms helps you to refine your search. In the above example, we want to find articles about Amazon and the movement to unionize.
If you receive too few results, try removing narrowing terms or selecting new ones from your topic brainstorm list.
And if you need to access articles immediately, be sure to check the box to limit to "Full Text."
If required, you can also limit the results to show only articles from journals that use the peer-review process.

Step 2:

Select Articles

After you click on "Search", view your results. This example shows #1 and #2 of over 2,000 results found with this search combination.

Too large a number (1,000s) might indicates that your search is not narrow enough. You can try a narrower search word or add a third keyword.
Too few results indicates your search terms may be too specific: "amazon" AND "unions" AND "kent warehouse".

(click on image to enlarge)

In the image above, you can see a scholarly article from an academic journal and a magazine or newspaper article from a periodical. I start with magazine and newspaper articles for more accessible information.

Notice that you can access the PDF on the results page.
Click on the title to read the abstract which provides a summary or outline of the article. This tool helps you decide if the source looks relevant and useful!

Browsing with One Search

Use One Search to find Books in Holman Library and for an overview of library resources on a subject.

Build your search slowly with multiple search terms.
When relevant, use quotation marks to keep words together, as a phrase. Example: "affordable housing"

Note: Go to individual databases for magazines, more subject terms, up-to-date streaming video content, and more.

(click on image to enlarge)

When you see results, you may need to limit further. As shown in the image below...

use the limiters on the left to filter your results by source type, subject, date, language, and more.

(click on image to enlarge)

Advanced Google Searching

Use Google Advanced Search for power searching on the general web

Note your ability to limit to one particular domain (.gov, .edu, .org):

Google Advanced Search
Use this search to help you limit by resource, date and more. Find specific types of websites, such as those created for academic purposes (.edu) or government (.gov).

(Click on image to enlarge)

Effective Database Searching with Keywords

Keywords and Effective Search Strategies

This video shows you how to use your keywords in library databases to find book, articles, videos, and more.