Building database searches

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Building database searches

• Write your research question and find the key
  terms. Expand or modify a list of other
  possible words or phrases you could use. Did you
  leave out an important concept that may help you
  refine or answer your question?

compact discs or certificates of deposit?
predicting number of CDs sold in the first week
released New sales retail sales
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•     Select a research source. Do you need
  background information? To define term(s)?To
  clarify concepts?

• predicting average prices for a new car
  (automobile? vehicle?) price is
  cost to dealer or consumer?
• average in a class of cars or across the
  spectrum-- from Escort to Mazarati?

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• Become familiar with common database
  characteristics and search features, such as
• truncation ?
• symbols used to indicate a term must appear in
  your results
• Boolean logic, combining terms with and, or or
  not

• (car or auto?) and (cost? or price?)

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•     Be aware of information architecture Is
  this a full text database, abstracts, an index
  or a reference source? Is it searchable? Do
  you need to use capitals and punctuation? How
  do the results sort? Can you refine your search
  or do you work from a search history?

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• Manage your search. Keep track of WHERE you
  searched and what database terms were used for
  your concept. If the electronic database isnt
  full-text online, how do you find the article or
  source?
• Evaluate your search results and sources.

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Now you try a few searches

• predicting impact of Super Bowl advertising
• predicting number of people who will use the
  Chunnel between London and France
• predicting tuition costs at private colleges.

• Key terms? Alternate terms or phrases?
• Where will this information be? Who or what
  organization or group compiled it?
• Which databases or sources are best