# How to search # Developing a search strategy ### Step 1: Examine your question The first step is to define what your question is. You may already have been given your assignment title, but you still need to ensure that you thoroughly understand it. This includes: 1. understanding all of the terms in your question 2. knowing what depth of information you need 3. considering the parameters of your research, e.g. it may cover a particular time period or geographical region In other cases, for example when writing your thesis or dissertation, you will set your own title. In such cases, you need to think carefully about the parameters of your research: 1. Is there enough literature on your topic? 2. Is the scope of your topic realistic? --- ### Step 2: Identify your key concepts The next stage is to identify the key concepts in your question. Key concepts are the nouns in your assignment title. These are the different chunks of meaning that define what the question is about. Other types of terms in your question might be: - Instruction words: normally verbs, these tell you what to do with the information about the key concepts; eg evaluate, describe, assess. - Limiting words: these may appear in your question to restrict to a particular location, timeframe, population etc. #### Examples > Assess the impact that social media has had on recent outbreaks of civil unrest The key concepts in this assignment title are: - Social media - Civil unrest --- ### Step 3: Alternative search terms The key concepts you have identified from your question are the topics you’ll be searching for. It’s important to consider other words and phrases that might be used to describe these concepts, in order to perform a thorough search. These alternative terms might take a number of forms: ##### Synonyms Most concepts will have other words/phrases which have the same or a similar meaning as your original term. ##### Alternative spellings Some terms might have different spellings, especially in American English. Wildcards allow you to do this. ##### Alternative endings You might want to search for different forms of the same root word, for example plurals or different tenses. You can use truncation to help with this. #### Examples > Assess the impact that social media has had on recent outbreaks of civil unrest We’ve already identified the key concepts:
Social media | Civil unrest |
Social network | Conflict |
Social networking | Revolution |
Riot | |
Web 2.0 | Rioting |
Social network\* | Conflict |
Revolution | |
Web 2.0 | Riot\* |
Example: **Bauhaus AND Albers** would return results that include **both** Bauhaus and Albers
#### OR Use the Boolean operator OR to combine search terms. The Boolean operator OR is helpful for search terms with varying spelling, e.g. o/ou or s/z in English; or when looking for a search term in different languages:Example: **'labor policy' OR 'labour policy'** would return results containing **either** labor or labour.
Example: **'industrial design' OR Industriedesign** would return results containing **either** industrial design or Industriedesign
#### NOT Use the Boolean operator NOT to exclude results.Example: **bauhaus NOT band** would return only results which include the term bauhaus but do **not** include the term band
--- ### Step 6: Review your results Once you’ve finished formulating your search, it’s time to start searching. It’s important to remember that searching is an iterative process; you will often not get the results you want immediately. You’re satisfied with the list of results returned from your original search, you may stop at this point. If you get too many or too few results, you will need to adjust your search strategy. We’ll look at how to do that next. --- --- Adapted from [*My Learning Essentials*](https://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/using-the-library/students/training-and-skills-support/my-learning-essentials/ "My Learning Essentials") resources developed by the University of Manchester Library and licensed under [CC BY-NC 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/). # How to search the library's catalogue (OPAC) Our online catalogue ([OPAC](https://koha.berlin-international.de/)) contains all of our holdings, including: - books - monographic series - periodicals - theses (including link to full-text) - audio / visual media ## Simple Search [](https://libguides.berlin-international.de/uploads/images/gallery/2022-02/simple-search.png) To perform a keyword search, simply type your search in the search field and press enter. ## Advanced Search The [Advanced Search](https://koha.berlin-international.de/cgi-bin/koha/opac-search.pl) will allow you to narrow or broaden your search as needed, based on expanded criteria. [](https://libguides.berlin-international.de/uploads/images/gallery/2022-02/advanced-search.png) ### Search in specific fieldsIf you're interested in learning more, see the article on [advanced search techniques](https://libguides.berlin-international.de/books/the-research-process/page/advanced-search-techniques)
#### [](https://libguides.berlin-international.de/uploads/images/gallery/2022-03/opac-search-fields.png) While Keyword is the default search, there are many additional fields that can be searched specifically by selecting them from the drop-down menu. The most relevant are *Title*, *Author* and *Subject*. #### Subject Subject headings are important because you can use them to find similar information more efficiently. Once you've found a record of interest, you may want to note the assigned subject headings to find similar items. [](https://libguides.berlin-international.de/uploads/images/gallery/2022-03/subject-headings-opac.png)Subject headings are different from keywords in that they are specific terms assigned to a subject by a subject analyst or the author.
In the library catalogue and many databases, an items's subject(s) will be a link, so that you can click on the subject heading to find similar items. You also might want to note the exact words to search them as a keyword later.Example: A title search for 'human resource management' may return dozens of results, but when combined with an author search, as in the screenshot below, only items with 'human resource management' in the title AND 'Crawshaw' as an author will be returned.
[](https://libguides.berlin-international.de/uploads/images/gallery/2022-03/combining-search-fields.png) ### Results #### Refine your search Once your search has returned results, you can narrow those results, or refine your search based on varied criteria, eg *author*, *availability*, *item type* or *topic*. ##### By Availability [](https://libguides.berlin-international.de/uploads/images/gallery/2022-03/refine-your-search-availability.png) ##### By Item Type [](https://libguides.berlin-international.de/uploads/images/gallery/2022-03/refine-your-search-item.png) # Advanced Search TechniquesFor more information on using generative AI to design searches, see [Enhancing Search Queries with AI](https://libguides.berlin-international.de/link/61#bkmrk-enhancing-search-que).
## Keyword Generally keywords are the default for search queries, and it's important to know how a keyword search works. Keyword searches will return results in which the keyword appears anywhere in the record, whether title, description, author, etc. A search for multiple keywords will return results in which both keywords appear anywhere in the record, not necessarily beside each other.Example: **industrial design** would return all results that include the terms industrial and design irrespective of where the terms were in relation to each other
## Grouping keywords with quotation marks An easy way to group keywords is to enclose them in quotation marks. This can be particularly helpful when searching for specific titles of items.Example: **'industrial design'** would only return results where industrial and design were located beside each other
## Boolean Operators (AND, OR, NOT)Example: **Bauhaus AND Albers** would return results that include **both** Bauhaus and Albers
#### OR Use the Boolean operator OR to combine search terms. The Boolean operator OR is helpful for search terms with varying spelling, e.g. o/ou or s/z in English; or when looking for a search term in different languages:Example: **'labor policy' OR 'labour policy'** would return results containing **either** labor or labour.
Example: **'industrial design' OR Industriedesign** would return results containing **either** industrial design or Industriedesign
#### NOT Use the Boolean operator NOT to exclude results.Example: **bauhaus NOT band** would return only results which include the term bauhaus but do **not** include the term band
Example: searching for librar\* would tell the database to look for all possible endings to that root. Results will include library, libraries, librarian, librarians or librarianship.
A question mark (?) may be used to represent a single character, anywhere in the word. It is most useful when there are variable spellings for a word, and you want to search for all variants at once.Example: Searching for colo?r would return both color and colour.
Wildcard characters can vary among search providers
# Open Access (OA) ## ## **Open Access (OA) in Academic Publishing: An Overview for Users** Open Access (OA) is a transformative model of academic publishing that allows for free, unrestricted access to scholarly research and outputs. This paradigm shift from the traditional subscription-based access offers an equitable and inclusive alternative that enables anyone, anywhere, to access and utilize research findings without cost barriers. ### **Primary Models of Open Access** 1. **Gold Open Access**: Research articles are made freely available immediately upon publication, often with associated Article Processing Charges (APCs) paid by authors or their institutions. 2. **Green Open Access**: Authors self-archive their work in institutional or subject-specific repositories, making it accessible after an embargo period set by the publisher. ### **Benefits of Open Access** - Increased visibility and citation rates for researchers. - Broader dissemination of knowledge to diverse audiences, including practitioners, policymakers, and the general public. - Compliance with funder mandates requiring open dissemination of publicly funded research. ### **Easy Access via library's catalog** - Many Open Access [items](https://library.berlin-international.de/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=6001) in our catalog can be identified by the OA symbol [](https://libguides.berlin-international.de/uploads/images/gallery/2024-12/32px-open-access-logo-plos-white-svg1.png). These resources link directly to the Open Access material, ensuring immediate access without restrictions. This feature simplifies the process of finding and utilizing OA resources for both students and faculty. --- ## **How Faculty Members Can Publish Open Access Materials** Publishing open access can seem complex, but there are tools and resources available to simplify the process. Below is a guide for faculty members on how to navigate this landscape effectively: ### **1. Identify Suitable Journals or Publishers** Use tools like [**SherpaRomeo**](https://v2.sherpa.ac.uk/) to check publisher policies on open access. This platform provides detailed information about copyright and self-archiving policies for journals, helping you identify where and how you can publish your work openly. ### **2. Deposit Work in Repositories** Repositories are essential for Green OA publishing. Use platforms such as: - [**re3data.org**](https://www.re3data.org/): A comprehensive registry of research data repositories across disciplines. - Institutional repositories: Soon you will be able to directly deposit your OA research into Berlin International's institutional repository in addition to pre-prints of your non-OA research. ### **3. Disseminate Research** Share your published work widely using tools like: - [**dissem.in**](https://dissem.in/): Helps identify where paywalled articles can be legally shared openly. - [**ImpactStory**](https://profiles.ourresearch.org/): Tracks the impact of your research outputs, including altmetrics for open access publications. ### **4. Create and Share Open Educational Resources (OERs)** Faculty members can contribute to open education by developing and sharing teaching materials through platforms like: - [**iMooX**](https://imoox.at/): A platform for creating and sharing Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). - [**OER Commons**](https://www.oercommons.org/): A resource library for finding and contributing openly licensed educational materials. ### **5. Understand Licensing Options** When publishing open access, it’s crucial to select an appropriate license. [Creative Commons licenses](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/) (e.g., CC BY) are widely used to ensure your work remains accessible while protecting your rights as an author. --- ## **Support from the Library** The library is here to assist you at every step of the open access publishing process. We provide: - Guidance on selecting suitable journals or repositories. - Support with navigating funder mandates for open access compliance. - Instruction on using tools like SherpaRomeo, dissem.in, and ImpactStory. For more information or personalized support, please contact us. # Making the most of Generative AI (ChatGPT etc.) ### Citation and Attribution If you decide to incorporate generative AI tools into your assignments, academic projects, or any written work you plan to publish, it's crucial to carefully consider how you give credit to and cite the results generated by these tools in your content. **Make sure to consult with your instructor before integrating AI into your coursework to ensure compliance with guidelines and expectations.** #### [Citing Generative AI: APA](https://libguides.berlin-international.de/link/62#bkmrk-generative-artificia) #### [Citing Generative AI: Chicago](https://libguides.berlin-international.de/link/63#bkmrk-generative-artificia) ### Writing Prompts