NR567 - Analysis of Environmental Impact

A guide for Prof. Rothfeder's Spring 2022 class

Searching in Library Databases

Database Searching Strategy

Knowing how to search in library databases is very important in order to retrieve useful results.  The steps below will help you to get the most from your searches.

  1. Identify the main concepts of your research question.
  2. Think about synonyms and alternative wordings that might be used to describe those concepts.
  3. Combine your search terms using Boolean Operators, truncation, and phrase searching.
  4. Examine your search results and look for other terms to use.
  5. Modify your search as necessary.

 

Techniques for Combining Search Terms

 
Technique What it Does Example
AND Searches for documents containing both words.  Narrows a search. fracking AND environment
OR Searches for documents containing either word.  Broadens a search. fracking OR hydrofracking
NOT Excludes documents containing the word following NOT.  Narrows a search. shale NOT Bakken
 " " Searches for a phrase.  Narrows a search. "hydraulic fracturing"
 * Searches for documents containing any word starting with the letters before the *.  Broadens a search. environment* [finds environment, environmental, environmentalism, etc.]
Combine techniques Allows you to create precise an thorough searches (fracking OR "hydraulic fracturing") AND environment*

Specific Database Tutorials

EBSCO Databases

ProQuest Databases

Find the Whole Article

Many library databases only include abstracts (summaries) of articles.  If you don't see a link that says "PDF full text" or "HTML full text" in a database, look for the FindIt@CSU icon. This will link you to the full text of the article.

Rectangular icon that says "FindIt@CSU".

Google Advanced Search

Some federal agencies post documents such as environmental impact statements on the internet.  A search engine such as Google is often the best tool for finding these, and using a search engine's advanced search will help you to get better results.

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