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Composing a Search: Introduction

Interactive Guide to demonstrate how to compose a search and test it on a sample of library databases.

Introduction

 

Creating a good search which returns all the relevant results requires some planning.Figure with magnifying glass

If not done properly you will either

  • waste a lot of precious time
  • miss relevant results

This guide sets out a four step process to develop efficient searches.

  • Select key terms
  • Identify synonyms and related terms
  • Add punctuation for phrases and truncations
  • Combine terms with Boolean logic

On the 'Try It' tab you will be able to test your ability to create an efficient search.

Download this Concepts and synonyms: fillable template by UWA Library

 

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