A significant word or phrase in the title, subject headings (descriptors), contents note, abstract, or text of a record in an online catalog or bibliographic database that can be used as a search term in a free-text search to retrieve records containing it also referred to as natural language
Controlled Vocabulary
predefined, authorized terms that have been indexed by the designer of the vocabulary -- typically LOC or a database
Let's search iN PsycINFO
ADVANCED SEARCH
Thesarus
A nOTE ON "eXPLODE"
Remember, the thesaurus is not just an alphabetic list of terms. Instead, the terms are organized hierarchically with major subject areas, progressively branching off into more specific terms.
When you "explode" a term in a database that uses a thesaurus, you direct the system to search on a given term PLUS all the more specific terms that are nested beneath the original term.
SAVING SEARCHES/COMBINED SEARCHES
SETTING ALERTS
Search Activity
Using your own topic (or idea for a topic)
Diagram keywords and synonyms
Look in the PsycINFO thesaurus for terms and note what they are
Use your terms to search in PsycINFO
I'll ask a few of you to report what you found
Evaluate What You Found
Evaluate the results
Do the result seem relevant?
Take a closer look by actually clicking in them
Did you notice anything interesting in terms of the outlined "major subjects"
Did you notice/use any of the additional features like filtering, major subjects, citation generators?
Were you able to access the text (i.e. full text pdf)
Anything else of note?
Keeping Track and Getting Help
Questions?
Christina Bush
cbush1@swarthmore.edu
ImmigraNT Adjustment: Research Strategies PSYC 137 Christina Bush, Psychology Librarian
