After an introduction by the instructor, students complete a handout for some cognitive practice on using advanced precision searching techniques, such as phrase searching and Boolean operators, as the third step to keyword searching online. A discussion about the answers follows.
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Use precision searching techniques such as phrase searching and Boolean operators when writing search statements.
Relevant Threshold Concepts
- Searching as strategic exploration.
Suggestions for Use
- This activity should be helpful in classes where students will be expected to look for sources using keyword searching.
- Steps 1 and 2 of keyword searching are covered in Activity 4-A and 4-B, respectively. Activity 5-B covers subject heading searching.
- You can use this and Activities 4-A and 4-B all in one class or perhaps separately on back-to-back class days to cover the keyword searching topic as a whole. (They are presented as separate activities in order to minimize the amount of class time used in any one class.)
- If you would prefer that students practice only with research questions related to your discipline, you can change the questions on Handout 4C-1 accordingly.
- Students can complete Handout 4C-1 electronically or in print.
- You may have to overcome some students’ perception that they are already excellent online searchers. Many students feel that way because have been searching for a long time and because anything they type into Google produces results.
- Some students may say that the three steps explained in this and Activities 4-A and 4-B are too much trouble or unnecessary. It’s wise to tell them that searching with precision is not necessary unless the results of the search are important to them or will have important consequences. So maybe they don’t have to do it for every search but definitely for their research projects, trying to find out whether their health symptoms are dangerous, and, say, for exploring a company that they may want to work for.
Pre-Class Preparation
- Review the handout and answer sheet for this activity.
- Review In-Class Procedure below.
- If you decided to have students practice with research questions related only to your discipline, change the questions on Handout 4C-1 accordingly.
- Decide whether you want students to complete handout 4C-1 on paper or electronically.
- If you decided on electronic handouts, put handout 4C-1 in your learning management system.
- If you decided on paper copies, print Handout 4C-1 (1 copy per student and 1 for yourself) and Answer Key 4C-1 (1 copy for yourself).
- Prepare for introducing the session, using your own remarks or the Possible Script below, if it seems helpful.
- Using Answer Sheet 4C-1, plan your discussion of the answers on the handout.
- Download and perhaps print In-Class Procedure so you can take it with you to class.
In-Class Procedure
- If you’re having students use printed copies of Handout 4C-1, pass them out or set them where students can pick them up as they come in.
- If you’re having students use an electronic Handout 4C-1, tell them how to find and open it.
- Introduce the activity.
- Ask students to complete Handout 4C-1 in 10 minutes.
- After about 10 minutes, discuss answers to the questions with students.
- To conclude the activity, tell students that what they’ve learned today works well with search engines such as Google and Bing and specialized databases. However, when they are keyword searching in a specialized database, they should use fewer search terms than they use in search engines.
Possible Script
Because of other lessons we’ve had, you know that when developing keyword search statements, it’s best to start out by identifying the main ideas in your topic or research question. Next, you should consider adding related terms for those ideas. By related terms I mean terms that the people writing on your topic or research question would have used in their writings—because those writings are what search engines and databases search through. Today’s lesson is on using advanced search techniques in your search statements that will increase the odds that you will find the information you are interested in.
Relevant Choosing & Using Sources Chapters:
Chapter 4, Precision Searching.
