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Social Sciences - Literature Research

Searching with keywords

A search query is usually too complex to get the desired result with a single search term. You have to use multiple search terms and combine them.

Suppose: you are interested in climate change and migration.

You want to find literature on this topic.
 

Step 1: identifying search terms

Identify the key elements:

climate change and migration


​Step 2: find synonyms or related terms

  • Make use of Wikipedia or other reference works
  • Write down terms you find in the literature
     

Step 3: combine search terms

By cleverly combining your search terms, you only need to perform one search: 

(“climate change” OR “climate crisis”) AND (migration OR refugee* OR “people on the move”)

 

Broader Terms: Climate Human Response
Related terms:

climate change

climate crisis

migration

refugees

people on the move
More specific terms: global warming

climate refugees

environmental refugees
  • Make use of Wikipedia or other reference works
  • Write down terms you find in the literature
     
Handy to know:

Goal:

Method:

Example:
Searching for phrases "...." "people on the move"
Searching for word variants

* of ? of !

(afhankelijk van de database)

 organi* = organize, organization, organisation, organizational
Combine search terms to find more results OR

T1 OR T2
Combine search terms to find less results AND

T1 AND T2

Excluding search terms

NOT

T1 NOT T2

Tip: all databases work with different interfaces, search options and for instance different symbols for wildcards. Look at the Help pages, to find out about specific functions.