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Communication Studies

A Library Subject Guide

Boolean Search Tips

Use:

  • Always capitalize Boolean Operators (AND, OR, NOT) in your search statement.

  • AND
    This strategy will narrow your search. 
  • OR
    This strategy will broaden your search. Put words linked by OR inside parentheses ( ).
  • Quotation marks " "
    Using quotation marks will ensure that the database finds results that use that exact phrase.
  • Asterisk * 
    The * symbol tells the database to search for alternative word endings, for example: cultur* will search for culture, cultures, cultural

Search Tips for Communication

How do I choose keywords for my searches?

  • Words to include
    When you choose keywords for your search, you would want to include just the main ideas of your research question

Research question: How has the generation gap contributed to communication difficulties in the workplace?

Using just the main ideas, a search on this topic might look like this:

"generation gap" AND "business communication"

Found too many results?

  • Add more keywords

If you find that you are retrieving too many results, try adding more keywords to further narrow your topic.

"generation gap" AND "business communication" AND "United States"

Found too few results?

  • If you are searching for a really specific topic, you might not find enough information . In this case you can try broadening your search by using fewer search terms, or by using OR to add synonyms for your current search terms. If you link synonyms with OR, make sure to put them inside parentheses. 
("generation gap" OR "generational difference*")

Video Review on Keywords

Video Review on Searching

Using Databases to Finding News Articles and Speeches

Nexis Uni is a great source for texts of speeches, especially political speeches.  Follow these directions:
        Open the Guided News Search (not the Quick News Search) of Nexis Uni.
        1.  Select a News Category:  Choose News Transcripts
        2.  Select a News Source:  Choose Political Transcripts
        3.  Enter Search Terms:  Example:  clinton and democratic national convention
        4.  Narrow to a specific data range:  Adjust the date coverage for your topic

Proquest News & Newspapers is another great source for texts of speeches. Follow these directions:
        From the Advanced Search Screen:
        1.  Enter Search Terms: Example. sanders and (speech or transcript)
        2.  Select a Date Range
 

More Research Help

You can review your searching skills with our Database Searching Basics guide and this UMGC Library Webinar on Boolean Searching.