Creating a search strategy helps researchers in many ways:
- a topic is established, helping in clarifying a need for information.
- additional or related keywords can be utilized if certain ones do not yield the type of articles desired.
- search results become refined and precise, resulting in relevant articles.
These are the main steps in creating a search strategy:
1. Define your topic in a complete phrase or sentence.
Waste from electronic devices in landfills contaminates the soil with lead.
2. Identify the keywords in your sentence.
waste, electronic devices, landfill, contaminate, soil,lead
3. Generate synonyms for they keywords listed in #2.
Waste: disposables, trash
Electronic devices: cellular phones, laptops, computers, e-devices
Landfill: dumps, waste management sites
Contaminate: contamination, poison
Soil: land, earth
Lead: post transition metal, atomic number 82, Pb
4. Find related terms for your keywords or synonyms. These can include persons, places, and things.
Technotrash, e-Waste, lead poisoning, waste disposal,
5. List the requirements for your articles. Do they need to be scholarly, written within a certain time period, or have other requirements? Refer to your syllabus or assignment.
This assignment requires that articles not be older than 10 years old and must be from peer-reviewed articles.
6. Try some searches using different combinations of your keywords and synonyms!
