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Identifying Keyword Search Terms and Searching Techniques

Use these slides to learn how to:

Identify key concepts

Develop a good search strategy

Apply the search to the Business Source Complete Database

Understand database search techniques

Find more information

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Identifying Concepts

Search topic example:

What makes virtual teams succeed or fail? Is trust the root of any virtual team’s success? Discuss using a minimum of 10 academic journal articles.

The question above wants to know how important trust is for the success of virtual teams

Key Concept 1: virtual teams

Key Concept 2: trust

Key Concept 3: success or fail

Highlight the best terms or keywords – they are your concepts

What is the assignment topic actually asking?

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Search StrategiesApply your key concepts to a database search strategy

Key concept 1: virtual teams = Search box 1: “virtual teams” or “virtual teamwork” Key concept 2: trust = Search box 2: trust Key concept 3: success = Search box 3: succeed or success* or fail*

Think of similar words or phrases to use• Teamwork as well as teams• Succeed as well as success

Use “inverted commas” so the database will search for the words together

Using OR between concepts will search the database for any of the concepts

Use the asterisk * symbol so the database will find words will different endings, e.g.:• Success* - you will find success, successes, successful• Fail* - you will find fail, fails, failed, failure

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Using the Business Source Complete Database1. Type one key concept per search box.

2. Leave AND in between each search box so the database knows to combine each concept.

3. To begin with leave the default search field as Select a Field. This will scan the abstract and citation for your concepts.

• If you get too many search results, try adding another concept or narrow the results using the limits, such as date.

4. Tick the Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals box so that all results will be academic articles.

5. Click Search.

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Database Searching TechniquesSearching tips to remember:

Databases have both scholarly and non-scholarly articles. Make sure you tick the box if you only want to see scholarly academic articles.

To improve the quality and quantity of your search results add more OR terms. This tells the database to connect the search terms by OR so it will search for any of those terms.

Truncation is when you put an asterisk * symbol at the end of a word to search for all possible endings of a search term.

For keyword searching the best search field to begin with is the default option. The default should include the abstract and citation fields (not the full article).

If you are looking for a quick overview on a topic you may like to try a Title field search. This will only find your terms in the article title.

Apply limiting options such as date to narrow your search results, where required.

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Need More Information?

Online videos (linking to YouTube):

• Business Source Complete Database – Finding Journal Articles

• Business Source Complete Database – Keyword Searching and Techniques

• Using the Library Search Tab – Topic Searching

• Finding Books - Using the Library Catalogue’s Keyword Search

Searching for Journal Articles – see the online tutorial in the Business & Management Library Skills Module http://latrobe.libguides.com/content.php?pid=184702&sid=1611590

Searching for information – see the online Library Skills Module http://latrobe.libguides.com/content.php?pid=171109&sid=1440892

Searching for books – see the online tutorial in the Business & Management Library Skills Module http://latrobe.libguides.com/content.php?pid=184702&sid=1611563

Referencing – see the Academic Referencing Tool for examples of how to reference your sources using the Harvard Referencing Style http://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au/help/style-guides.php