BSST 340 : Oral Communication for National Security Careers

Google Searching Tips:
The top tip:

Limit search to particular types of documents by using
site:
site:gov = documents produced/authored by the government at all levels (federal,state,local) and government-sponsored research
site:org = organizations / associations / think tanks 
site:edu = documents produced/ authored/ sponsored by educational entities

example
prison privatization site:org
prison privatization site:gov

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Place quotes around a phrase
Using quotation marks means the whole phrase will be searched not the individual words
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Use the * for truncation
When you put an asterisk at the end of a search term it searches for words with any possible ending.

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Limit date
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1. place phrases in quotes
"wind power"

2. use - or - for synonyms
cafo* or "concentrated animal feed operation*"

There are several ways to formulate your search. Keep in mind though that because this is a full text database, using - and - to connect your concepts will, in most cases, result in a large number of items and many will not be relevant.

Best to try and bring the word/s closer together.

Bring the words closer together:
/s = same sentence 
"atlantic salmon" /s (gmo* or "genetically modified organisim*")

/p = same paragraph
 "atlantic salmon" /p (gmo* or "genetically modified organisim*")

hlead(...) - limit to headline and lead paragraphs (you can use -and- here since you are limiting where the words appear
      hlead("atlantic salmon" and  (gmo* or "genetically modified organisim*"))

Filters on the left:
search within
date
publication type - then sources
etc.

Example:

"atlantic salmon" /p (gmo* or "genetically modified organisim*")

Similar to Nexis Uni, because this is a full text database, using - and - to connect your concepts will, in most cases, result in a large number of items and many will not be relevant.

Best to try and bring the word/s closer together and/or change the search field.

To bring the words closer together use N/#
"renewable energy" N/5 subsid*

You can use -and - but, if you retrieve too many results, tye changing the search field from Anywhere to:
Anywhere except full text - NOFT
or
Abstract AB

Searching is trial and error! Be prepared to revise your search. Keep track of what you do.

Always think about different ways to say the same thing.  Start with keywords to describe your topic, within results, read  the abstract and look at the subject headings to identify additional keywords to use and revise the search (if needed).
Retrieve too many results? Limit to scholarly articles, limit words to abstract or subject.

Search Strategies: 
Start with keywords (place phrases in quotes), use connectors (or / and)

Place phases in quotes so the whole phrase is searched, not the individual words

"tax reform"
"border security"
"world health organization"
"public transportation"
"North Korea"
"African American"
"human rights"
"climate change"

Use an * for truncation to retrieve various endings of the root word

effect* = effect or effects or effectiveness
sanction* = sancttion or sanctions
Immigra* = immigration or immigrate or immigrant or immigrants
environment* = environment or environments or environmental
 

Using OR 
When you use OR between search terms, the database will search for any of them. This is useful if there might be multiple ways to refer to your topic or when any of the words will do

effect* or impact* or consequence* 
"public transportation" or "public transit" or "mass transit"
"private prison*" or "for-profit prison*" or "prison privatization"

Using AND 
When you use AND between search terms, the database will only show you search results that contain all of those search terms.

("world hunger" or "global hunger") and gmo*
("counter terrorism" or counterterrorism) and ("social media" or twitter or facebook)
"foreign policy" and china
immigra* and (policy or policies or legislation)