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Library Research Overview

This guide covers the basics of getting started with using the library for your research assignments.

Searching for Information

Tips for Using TCC Library Resources

Tips for choosing databases

laptop showing TCC library homepage

  • Browse our databases by subject: Click on "Browse Subjects" under TCC Article Databases. The databases have been grouped by subject categories to help you identify those that may be most relevant to your subject area.
  • Try searching one of our multi-subject databases: Multi-subject databases, like ProQuest or Academic OneFile from Gale, can be a good place to start your searching if you don't know where to begin for your topic. 
  • Read the database descriptions: These can help you determine whether that database may contain relevant information for your topic. On our Databases by Title or Databases by Subject pages, view the database description by:
    • Hovering your mouse over the database title
    • Clicking the triangle after the database title
    • Selecting the checkbox to "Show all descriptions" at the top of the database lists
  • Check our research guides: You may be able to find suggestions for specific databases in our subject guides or course guides (if one has been created for your course).

Database Tutorials & Help

Click below for tips on advanced search features and additional help in the different library databases: 

  • Look below the basic Search box to find Search Options - this is where you can get to the Advanced Search screen.
  • Additional Search Tips can be found below the Advanced Search options.

CINAHL Complete, Communication and Mass Media Complete from EBSCO, eBook Collection from EBSCOhost

  • The Advanced Search option is located above the search box on the basic search screen (if on the advanced search screen, the option to go to the basic search screen is located in the same place).
  • Help is listed under Research tools.
  • If viewing on a mobile device, the Advanced Search option is still above the search box. Help is still listed under Research tools, but you have to first click on the three lines in the top left corner to see the Research tools option.
  • The Advanced Search option is located below the search box on the basic search screen.
  • Additional Search Tips can be found below the Advanced Search boxes.
  • If viewing on a mobile device, the advanced search option should be located in the same place, however search tips may not be displayed on the advanced search screen. Instead, look for a link for Help at the very bottom of the screen. 
  • The Advanced Search option is located above the search box on the basic search screen.
  • A link to Search Help can be found immediately following the text Advanced Search at the top of the advanced search options.
  • Look to the top left corner for 3 lines to click to open the menu options. You can access both the Advanced Search and additional Help from here.
  • You can get to PubMed's Advanced Search screen by clicking on Advanced, located under the search box, or on Advanced Search listed under Find a little bit further down on the screen.
  • You can find additional help by checking out the FAQs & User Guide, listed under Learn. A link to the user guide can also be located on the advanced search screen, under the PubMed logo.
  • To get to the advanced search options for the TCC Library Catalog, click on the red button labeled Advanced Search, located under the search box.
  • Ask a librarian if you need more help searching the library catalog.

Common Search Strategies

Listed below are some common search strategies that can be used in most databases, but it is important to remember that database searching varies depending on the database. Refer to the Database Tutorials & Help tab for more help with specific databases.

Advanced Search Options

Look for an advanced search option. Options are going to vary depending on the database, but advanced search options allow you to be more specific with your search and build more complex searches. Most of the time an advanced search will easily allow you to search a specific field. For example, if you were trying to find works written by a certain person, you could search for their name in the author field. This search would pull more specific search results than just searching their name in a basic search.

Boolean Operators

Use AND, OR, or NOT to combine your search terms in different ways.

Venn diagram showing only the intersecting part of two overlapping circles shaded in
AND
Results only include those with both of your keywords.
 
Venn diagram with intersecting and non-intersecting parts shaded in
OR
Results include those with either one or both of your keywords.
Venn diagram showing only the non-intersecting part of the first of two overlapping circles shaded in
NOT
Results do not include any that have the keyword following NOT.

Nesting: When using multiple search terms and combining them in different ways, use parentheses to group your search terms to tell the database how to search them. Example: (college OR university) AND students

Phrase Searching & Truncation

quotation marks
phrase searching
Put quotation marks around your keywords to search them as a phrase.

 
asterisk
truncation
An asterisk at the end of part of your search word will pull different endings, searching for many different keywords at one time.

Limiting Your Search Results

Many of our databases allow users to limit search criteria to narrow their search results. These tools are called “limiters” or “filters”. Using these tools will help you navigate what could feel like an overwhelming amount of information.

Some options may be available from the basic and/or advanced search screens, while others will be available on your search results screen. 

You can use these options to limit your search results to better match your assignment requirements in several ways:

  • Using the publication date filter, for example, allows you to focus on information published within a specific time frame, such as the last five years.
  • The subjects filter can help you remove irrelevant results and focus on information directly related to your topic. 
  • Peer-reviewed filters can help you narrow your results to those from peer-reviewed publications.
  • If you need to use certain types of sources for your assignments, filters for source type may help you narrow your results to those types of sources. 

While some of our databases may have different search filters, they provide similar limiting options. Illustrated below is where to find filters in Gale and ProQuest databases. Look for similar options in other databases to help you narrow your results.  

Gale Databases

In databases that we have from Gale, like Academic OneFile from Gale, your initial search results will include the types of sources along the top of your search results. These can include Academic Journals, Books, Magazines, and even Websites.

Along with these types of sources, filters are found on the right-hand side of the screen under Filter Your Results. (If viewing on a mobile device, the types of sources should still be at the top, but you may need to click on Search Tools to see the rest of the available filters.) 

ProQuest Databases

In databases that we have from ProQuest, filters are found on the left-hand side of the search results screen. Look for the various options under Limit to. (If viewing on a mobile device, look to the bottom of your screen for a Filter button. Click to view the "Filter or sort your results" options.)

Keywords

When starting a research project, it's crucial to choose the right keywords. Keywords are terms derived from a topic question that you use in your search. Developing effective keywords is key to making your research process more productive.

Steps to Choosing Your Keywords

  1. thought cloud containing a search boxFind and read background information on your topic.
    This is especially important if you are not very familiar with your topic.
  2. Write down your research question in its simplest form.
    Example: Does being overweight lead to heart attacks?
  3. Pull any terms or concepts from the topic question that extract the core of your research.
    Example: overweight, heart attack, link, causes
  4. Think of synonyms and terms that are used with those terms.
    Using a thesaurus or background information can help you find similar words or identify relevant discipline-specific terminology.
    Example: obesity, myocardial infarction, cardiovascular, obesity AND heart attack risk, diet and exercise, health problems
  5. Try your keywords out by searching in the library databases.
    If you have trouble finding anything useful, keep tweaking them until you find the right combination for the best results.