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Smart searching

Library Class

What is Smart Searching?

Using an Advanced Search to get

the most relevant results by combining

keywords with search boosters

When you get an assignment

You won’t find the answer in a single source

Don’t write an answer then try to find evidence to support it

Begin with your Assignment topic

Chocolate has been described as a superfood,however there is also evidence indicating thatchocolate is detrimental to your health.

What are the main topics (keywords)

Assignment topic

Chocolate has been described as a superfood,however there is also evidence indicating thatchocolate is detrimental to your health.

Do you understand each keyword

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What are Superfoods?

A nutrient rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being(Oxford Dictionary)

A food considered to be very good for your health and that may even help some medical conditions(Macmillan Dictionary)

Assignment topic

Chocolate has been described as a superfood,however there is also evidence indicating thatchocolate is detrimental to your health.

Think of alternative words for each keyword

Alternative words for Superfoods

• Nutritious

• Nutrient rich

• Health benefits

• Super food

• Medicine

• Medicinal

How a search works

Title

Abstract

SubjectsFull Text

Healthy Chocolate? Sweet!

By Donna Fennessy

Abstract

Search for KEYWORDS in the…

Find the Library

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DISCOVER - Select Advanced Search

Advanced Search in DISCOVER

One topic per line

Field searching

“find a phrase”

truncat*

wildc?rd

Boolean operators and other Boosters

Boolean Operators

AND

OR

NOT

find all keywords (main topics)

find any keyword (alternative words)

exclude a keyword from the search

Place these words in CAPITALS between keywords to:

Place this word in CAPITALS before a keyword to:

superfood OR medicinal OR nutrient rich

chocolate NOT confectionery

chocolate AND medicinal

More Search Boosters

“phrase searching” an exact phrase

wildcard ? different spelling for a keywordlabo?r wom?n confection?ry

truncation * different endings to a keyword

Use punctuation/symbols to find:

medicin* = medicine, medicines, medicinal

“health benefits” “super food”

More Search Boosters

Title

Abstract

Subjects Full Text

Healthy Chocolate? Sweet!

By Donna Fennessy

Abstract

field searching find keywords in a single field

Put it all together

chocolate OR cacao

AND superfood OR “super food” OR nutritious OR medicin* OR “health benefits”

NOT confection?ry OR lollies

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Your search

chocolate

AND superfood OR “super food” OR medicin* OR nutritious

Limit to 5 years – type 2010

Refine to Academic Journals (Format)

Refine to Peer Reviewed

Look beyond the first few results…

Do you see

other alternative

keywords?

Subject field searching

Subject field search… fewer results

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Read the Abstract first!

Select the Preview icon then read the Abstract

Not all articles have an Abstract

How to evaluate each article

Authority– who wrote it

– qualifications

– cited by others

Currency– publication date

– current info cited

Relevance– scholarly

– cover the topic

Bias– is there a clear bias

– sales pitch

– ethics

Accuracy– free of errors

(grammar, spelling, factual)

– can facts be proved elsewhere

– correctly referenced

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Is this article relevant?

Save the PDF

PDF Full Text OR Search for Full Text

Save the Citation

Select the article title

Select Cite (right side)

Select the appropriate referencing style

Try different combinations (keywords, search boosters, fields)

chocolate OR cacao OR theobroma

AND superfood OR “super food” OR nutritious OR medicin* OR “health benefits”

NOT confection?ry

Find one more relevant article

chocolate OR cacao OR theobroma

AND superfood OR “super food” OR nutritious OR medicin* OR “health benefits”

NOT confection?ry

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Chocolate has been described as a superfood,

however there is also evidence indicating that

chocolate is detrimental to your health.

Back to the assignment question

What does detrimental to your health mean?

Chocolate has been described as a superfood, however there is also evidence indicating that chocolate is detrimental to your health.

• Illness

• Mood

• Diabetes

• Depression

• Sugar levels

• Anxiety

• Health problems

• Heart disease

• Damaging

• Side-effect

• Weight gain

• Headaches

• Addiction

• Harmful

• Caffeine

• Obesity

• Adverse

• Cavities

Continue searching

Put it all together

chocolate OR cacao OR theobroma

AND addiction OR diabet* OR cardiovascular OR side-effect OR “health problems”

NOT dogs OR animals

Advanced Search… a smarter way to search

One topic per line

Field searching

“find a phrase”

truncat*

wildc?rd

Boolean operators and other Boosters

Subject & How to Guides

Subject Guides

Try the Task 1b Game!

How to Guides

Read, watch & learn

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More help

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• Google vs Google Scholar

• Using eBooks

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Phone 54302803

infodesk@usc.edu.au

How to Guides

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