Compile an annotated bibliography on your chosen topic (different from those cited in your initial exploratory paper and different from those included in the modules).
Cite at least 3 high-quality scholarly articles (using APA) as well as two other sources of information such as videos, webinars, or websites. The highest grades will be given to those who explore more than one related topic (such as suicide and gun control) and have resources included for both on the bibliography.
To successfully complete the research component of this assignment there are 4 main steps:
Where to go in this Research Guide for advice on Step...
GALILEO searches across all of the Libraries' databases at once.
Enter a few keywords and/or "key phrases", or search by title or author > Search or hit Enter/Return
The table below outlines search techniques to help you find more relevant results. Go to each tab to find out more about each one.
The examples given are for searching the following research question:
Write an annotated bibliography on how teachers can help prevent substance abuse in middle schoolers |
Search Technique |
Format |
Example |
| Exact Phrase Searching | "key phrase" |
"substance abuse" |
| Boolean Operators | AND, OR, NOT |
Search field 1: "substance abuse" OR "drug abuse" Search field 2: AND teachers OR educators Search field 3: AND prevent Search field 4: AND "middle school" OR "middle grades" |
|
Parentheses |
(keyword/phrase BOOLEAN OPERATOR keyword/phrase) |
("substance abuse" OR "drug abuse") AND (teachers OR educators) AND prevent AND ("middle school" OR "middle grades") |
|
Truncation Device
|
Typically an asterisk: * May vary according to database |
teach* will retrieve teach, teachers, teaching, etc. |
| Wildcard |
Typically a pound: # , or a question mark: ? Varies from database to database GALILEO / EBSCOhost: # Proquest: ? |
In GALILEO and EBSCOhost databases "STE#M education" will retrieve "integrative STEM education", "integrative STEAM education", etc. |
Exact Phrase Search
| What it does | The format | Example/s |
|---|---|---|
|
Will retrieve results containing your "key phrase" in the order that you have inputted at least once in the record details or the item contents |
"Key phrase" |
"middle school" will find the phrase 'middle school" at least once in the record or in the full-text. It won't separate the words. |
Boolean Operators
| What they do | The format | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Boolean operators are 'connectors'. They combine keywords or key phrases in order to narrow or expand your search. In a simple search, if you use no Boolean Operator, the default operator is typically AND. |
AND OR NOT |
teach AND prevent AND "drug abuse" OR "substance abuse" AND "middle school" OR "middle grades" NOT "elementary school" |
Wildcard
| What it does | The format | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Wildcards broaden your search results by substituting or including a character in your keyword or key phrase. There are 2 types of wildcards:
Great for including spelling variations of a keyword in your search. |
Typically a pound, i.e. #, exclamation mark, i.e. ! or question mark, i.e. ? Varies according to the database. Some databases may use both types of wildcards, some may only use one. Consult the database's 'Help' or 'Search Tips' page to verify the wildcard symbol and what it does. |
GALILEO & EBSCOhost databases
"STE#M education" will retrieve "STEM education" and "STEAM education"
|
Truncation
| What it does | The format | Example - GALILEO and EBSCOhost databases |
|---|---|---|
|
Enter part of a keyword and place the truncation symbol at the end. The database will return results that include any ending of that partial word. |
Typically an asterisk i.e. * May vary from database to database. |
prevent* will retrieve prevent, prevention, preventative, etc. teach* will retrieve teach, teaching, etc. *** Search field 1: "substance abuse" OR "drug abuse" Search field 2: AND teach* OR educat* Search field 3: AND prevent* Search field 4: AND "middle school" OR "middle grades" |
Parentheses
| What they do | The format | Example/s |
|---|---|---|
|
Parentheses direct the search engine to perform your search in a certain order. When you edit / modify your search in some databases, it will convert your query into the parentheses structure. If you understand the structure, you can edit your search quickly.
|
Example: (keyword/phrase BOOLEAN OPERATOR keyword/phrase) BOOLEAN OPERATOR (keyword/phrase BOOLEAN OPERATOR keyword/phrase)
|
("substance abuse" OR"drug abuse") AND (teach* OR educat*) AND prevent* AND ("middle school" OR "middle grades") |
As GALILEO covers a wide range of disciplines, searching within an individual, or a small set of subject-specialty databases can be more on target and efficient. It is worth trying GALILEO first, and then run a similar search in a subject database/set of databases.
Did you know EBSCOhost databases can be searched together?
Enter one of the EBSCOhost databases below> Select 'Choose Databases' > Select desired databases > OK.
ProQuest Education Journals gives users access to over 790 top educational publications, including more than 615 of the titles in full text.
A database covering all aspects of education and educational research.
Did you know EBSCOhost databases can be searched together?
Enter one of the EBSCOhost databases below> Select 'Choose Databases' > Select desired databases > OK.
PsycARTICLES, from the American Psychological Association (APA), includes full-text, peer-reviewed scholarly and scientific articles in general psychology and specialized basic, applied, clinical, and theoretical research in psychology.
Can you combine multiple search techniques to save time?
It depends on the database. Some databases will allow you to construct a complex search query which utilizes several search techniques. Other databases 'can't handle' operating too many techniques.
The easiest way to tell is trial and error.
Start with a simple search, then gradually layer it with more and more search techniques to see how much the database can 'handle' at once.
Example: GALILEO can handle complex search queries. Try it yourself:
Search Field 1: "substance abuse" OR "drug abuse"
Field 2: AND "middle school" OR "middle grades"
Field 4: AND "teach* strateg*" OR "teach* interven*"
Field 5: NOT "elementary school" OR "high school"
However, another database might not be able to handle such a combination of search techniques.