1. WEEK 4
LIBR 250

2. TODAY
Focus on finding information
Understanding the difference between keyword and natural
language databases
Limitations of Google
Using library databases
Evaluating and narrowing search results from library
databases

3. GOOGLE
Why do you like it?
When is it useful?
What are its limitations?
How far will a Google search take you?
Assignment: Write a paper on any aspect of the recent
government shutdown. The paper must be 5-7 pages and use
a variety of sources including at least one scholarly article

4. KEYWORD VS.
NATURAL LANGUAGE
Which is better? Why or why not?
Is natural language always easier?
Is the precision of keyword searching always useful?
Does it vary in terms of what stage of the research process
you are?

5. BOOLEAN LOGIC AND
KEYWORD SEARCH
Looking for words in the articles that make up the database
Keyword searched only retrieve the articles that have the
specific words for which you are looking
Need to join terms with connectors in a (Boolean) logical way
Literal
Full text
Efficient
Used in an evolutionary way: As you learn more about your
topic you continue to search on the new terms and concepts
you pick up

6. CONNECTORS
And: When two or
more terms are joined
with AND the database
finds only articles that
have all of those terms
Or: When two or more
terms are joined with
OR the database finds
all of the articles that
have any one of those
terms
Not: When terms are
joined with NOT the
database finds articles
that have the first time
only and rejects the
ones that have the
second term (even if
they have the first one)

7. EVALUATING/NARROWING
INFORMATION YOU RETRIEVE
Information in databases can be evaluated and narrowed by:
•
•
•
Date (currentness or age)
Type of information (academic, magazine, trade
publication, newspaper)
Relevance

8. BRINGING IT ALL
TOGETHER
Week 3-4 exercise
Take a BROAD topic
Explore the topic while coming up with narrow topics