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English 001 (Treadwell): How the Word is Passed: Search Statements

Formulating a Search Statement

  1. Come up with Search Terms (concrete nouns or key concepts in usually no more than a two word phrase for each INDIVIDUAL search term).  A search statement should NEVER be a long phrase or sentence.
  2. For mulltiple search terms put AND in between each one: Climate Change AND United States
  3. As you search databases, look at the Subjects list and jot down key subject words.  You may want to use those terms instead for future searching.
  4. When searching an EBSCO database, look at the left column for search limiters and click on any key subject headings to further limit your search.

Keywords

Next Step: Formulate The Statement

Minimum Wage AND Benefits AND United States AND Economy.

EBSCO Search Form

Limit Results with More Search Terms or Select Subjects on the Left side (in EBSCO Databases)

NOTE: Feel free to click on "Show More" for more subject heading suggestions students can select.  They can click in more than one checkbox.

For articles that are really on the mark, take note and jot down key subject headings below the article record.

Subject Headings below article

Note: If after reading an individual article, student wants to find more like that article, that's when they may want to look at what that article has CITED and then in Articles Plus, student can copy and paste an individual article title to see if that's available in the Library's full text collection.

Subject Headings Examples

African Americans

Blacks [Note: Only use Blacks if outside U.S.]

Race Discrimination

Racism

Stereotypes

Racial bias

Implicit bias

Slavery--United States

Anti-Slavery Movements--United States

Abolitionists

Emancipation of Slaves--United States

Human Trafficking

Criminal Sentencing

Sentencing Disparity*

top & Frisk (Police Method)

Racial Profiling

Police Misconduct

Police --Evidence

Police Accountability

Jim Crow Laws

Sharecropping

Sharecroppers

Confederate Monuments

Monuments--Law and Legislation

American Civil War. 1861-1865.

United States. Constitution. 13th Amendment

Anti-Racism Education

Institutional Racism

Education

Critical Race Theory