OAC 104
Internet Research
for Business
Ms. Mariel May S. Kidkid
Subject Instructor
Chapter 2
Search Strategies
and Techniques
What is Search Strategy?
●A search strategy is an organized structure
of key terms used to search a database.
Your search strategy will account for all:
● possible search terms;
● keywords and phrases;
● truncated and wildcard variations of search
terms; and
● subject headings (where applicable).
Search Strategy
Techniques
CHOOSE SEARCH TERMS
●Refers to the conceptualized terms related
to research.
●The aim is to consider each of the concepts
and come up with a list of the different
ways they could be expressed.
To find alternative keywords or phrases for your concepts
try the following:
● Use a thesaurus to identify synonyms.
● Search for your concepts on a search engine like
Google Scholar, scanning the results for alternative
words and phrases.
● Examine relevant abstracts or articles for
alternative words, phrases and subject headings (if
the database uses subject headings).
[Link]
Search with Keywords
● Keywords are free text words and phrases.
Database search strategies use a combination of
free text and subject headings.
● A keyword search usually looks for your search
terms in the title and abstract of a reference.
Some databases will find the exact word or phrase, so make sure your spelling
is accurate or you will miss references.
Search for the Exact Phrase
● The process of using the exact words that needed in
the research.
If you want words to appear next to each
other in an exact phrase, use quotation
marks, eg “self-esteem”.
● Phrase searching decreases the number of results
you get and makes your results more relevant. Most
databases allow you to search for phrases, but check
the database guide if you are unsure.
Truncation and Wildcard Searches
● Truncation is a symbol added to the end of the root
of a word to instruct the database to search for all
forms of a word.
● Many databases use an asterisk (*) as their
truncation symbol (wild card). Check the database
help section if you are not sure which symbol to use.
For example, “therap*” will find therapy, therapies,
therapist or therapists.
[Link]
Use Adjacency Searching for
more Accurate Results
● Allows the researcher to search by phrase or with two
or more words in relation to one another.
● You can specify how close two words appear together in
your search strategy. This can make your results more
relevant; generally the closer two words appear to each
other, the closer the relationship is between them.
For example, “customer relations management", “customer relations",
“management of customer relations".
Searching with Subject Headings
● Database subject headings are controlled
vocabulary terms that a database uses to describe
what an article is about.
● Using appropriate subject headings enhances your
search and will help you to find more results on
your topic. This is because subject headings find
articles according to their subject, even if the
article does not use your chosen key words.
[Link]
Use Boolean Logic to Combine Search Terms
● Boolean operators (AND, OR and NOT) allow you to try
different combinations of search terms or subject headings.
● OR is used to find articles that mention either of the
topics you search for.
● AND is used to find articles that mention both of the
searched topics.
● NOT excludes a search term or concept. It should be
used with caution as you may inadvertently exclude
relevant references.
Citation Searching
● Citation searching is a method to find articles that have
been cited by other publications.
Use citation searching (or cited reference searching) to:
● find out whether articles have been cited by other
authors
● find more recent papers on the same or similar subject
● discover how a known idea or innovation has been
confirmed, applied, improved, extended, or corrected
● help make your literature review more comprehensive.
Web
Search
Engines
Comprehensiv
e Guide on
How to
Evaluate
Online Sources
Effectively
Authorship
● Qualifications: Check the author’s credentials, including
their academic background, professional experience,
and affiliations.
● Reputation: Consider the author’s reputation within the
field. Have they published other works on the same
topic?
● Bias: Assess any potential biases the author may have,
based on their background or affiliations.
Publication Venue
● Publisher: Evaluate the reputation of the publisher.
Academic presses and peer-reviewed journals are
generally more credible.
● Peer Review: Determine if the source has undergone
a peer-review process. Peer-reviewed articles are
reviewed by experts in the field before publication.
Date of Publication
● Timeliness: Ensure the information is up-to-date. In
rapidly evolving fields like technology and medicine,
recent sources are crucial.
● Historical Context: For historical research, older
sources may be relevant and provide valuable
context.
Citations and References
● Citations: Check if the source cites other reputable
works. A well-referenced article indicates thorough
research.
● Bibliography: Review the bibliography or reference list
to assess the quality and relevance of the cited works.
Content Quality
● Accuracy: Verify the factual accuracy of the information
provided.
● Objectivity: Assess whether the content is presented
objectively, without undue bias or unsupported opinions.
● Depth: Consider the depth of the analysis. Does the
source provide a comprehensive overview or merely a
superficial treatment of the topic?
Relevance
● Topic: Ensure the source is directly relevant to
your research question or topic.
● Scope: Consider the scope of the source. Is it too
broad or too narrow for your needs?
Evaluating Sources in the Digital Age
1. Digital Literacy: Develop digital literacy skills to assess online sources
effectively. This includes understanding the difference between credible
websites and unreliable ones.
2. Fact-Checking Websites: Use fact-checking websites like Snopes,
[Link], and PolitiFact to verify the accuracy of information.
3. Social Media: Be cautious with information from social media
platforms. Verify facts with reliable sources before accepting them as
true.
4. Paywalls and Open Access: Recognize that some credible sources may
be behind paywalls. Consider using institutional access or open-access
alternatives.
Assignment
● In a minimum of 1,000 words, write an
essay on the importance of search
engines to business research
○ Use short bond paper (8.5”x11”)