Search Tips for Efficient Searching
Specific Keywords: Choose precise terms related to your topic, like Food Safety, e. coli, and Rapid Testing
Combine Keywords: Use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) to refine searches,
e.g. (Food Safety AND e. coli, AND Rapid Testing)
Synonyms and Related Terms: Expand your search with related terms or synonyms, such as using ("Food Safety" OR "Pathogen Detection") AND ("salmonella" OR "E. coli") AND ("Rapid Testing" OR Biosensors)
Narrow Your Topic to Specific Keywords and Phrases
Selecting and using keywords effectively is crucial for strategic exploration in research. This section guides you through the process of developing and refining keywords to enhance the precision and breadth of your search results.
Watch the video Selecting & Using Keywords
Database video tutorials
The following Thinglinks, and video tutorials highlight basic keyword searching and database filters for three highly recommended databases, Nutrition and Food Sciences Database, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. To use the thinglinks hover your cursor over the flashing arrows.
Nutrition and Food Sciences Database
hover your cursor over the to learn more
Nutrition and Food Sciences Database Video Tutorial
Web of Science Tutorial
Navigate the Web of Science database with our tutorial, aimed at helping you utilize its features for advanced searching. Hover your cursor over the green arrows below to learn more about searching Web of Science Database
Web of Science Video Tutorial
ScienceDirect Tutorial
Navigate the ScienceDirect database with our tutorial, aimed at helping you with the skills to use this database for strategic exploration. Discover how to find relevant articles and utilize its featurs for advanced searching. Hover your cursor over the green arrows below to learn more about searching the ScienceDirect database.
ScienceDirect Video Tutorial
Cited Reference Searching
Enhance your research with citation-linking tools for in-depth topic exploration. Utilize Web of Science for locating articles citing known works and discover further through the "Times Cited" feature. Expand your search with Google Scholar's citation-linking for finding articles that cite your source. Dive deeper into the citation network to connect with referenced works and authors, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of your subject area.
Watch the Videos Below to Learn How
Web of Science - How to do a Cited Reference Search
Google Scholar Citation Linking
Locate dissertations or theses from CSULB and other institutions
Provides free access to thousands of dissertation and thesis abstracts from universities around the world, and links to full text when freely available.
Refining Your Search Results: Evaluate and Improve
This section merges critical evaluation techniques with strategies for improving your searches, guiding you towards more relevant, high-quality information. Whether you're encountering too many results or too few, the tips below will help you adjust your search to better align with your research needs. Learn how to fine-tune your search results to ensure they align closely with your research needs!
Evaluate Your Search Results:
When You Have Too Many Results:
When You Have Too Few Results:
When You Have Too Many Results |
When You Have Too Few Results |
To reduce the number of results you are getting:
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To increase the number of results you are getting:
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Improve Your Search Results:
Get the Full-Text of Articles
Finding the full text of articles is an essential step in your research journey. Here you will see strategies and tools to access the full-text of the articles you need in you research process.
1) GetIt@CSULB Link
2) Find the pdf linked in the database
3) Request Article(s)
When the full-text of an article isn't available in OneSearch, click 'GET IT' for options. CSU+ is your primary choice for accessing items not held by CSULB. For articles beyond our collection, use the provided link to request them through Interlibrary Loan services, ensuring a straightforward process to obtain the resources you need. Learn more about the interlibrary loan services here.