TIP: Keep track of your searching!
In the long run, you will save yourself significant time and frustration if you keep track of your searching, because searching is often a long and iterative process. That means that you may have to repeat and refine your search process many times before you start hitting "pay dirt."
For example, if you start by researching a topic with which you are unfamiliar, you probably won't enter a search term that makes much sense in a particular database. As you identify certain keywords, topics, and subject headings, however, your search will lead you in different directions. Some will be dead ends, but others might be so interesting that you end up changing your preliminary research question!
The point: By keeping track of your search process, you will be a more effective and efficient searcher.
Who knows? In the future you might want to revisit the same topic from a different angle. Take note of these possibilities in your research journal and return to them later.
Keep track of such elements as:
- the date you searched (may be used later in your works cited page)
- where you searched
- keywords, synonyms, phrases, and subject terms you used (see examples to the right)
- variations of terms you used (different spelling, abbreviations, etc.)
- popular tags (your own or those of other researchers)
- number of returned results
- bibliographic information of sources (used later in your works cited page)
- ideas and citations to explore later
