Library Research Guides: POL1 337: Race in American Politics: Learn Research Strategies

One Perfect Source?

Your topic seemed so great! So why can't you find any information on it? If you're looking for an all-in-one source that addresses your topic perfectly, you might need a different approach. (From the North Carolina State University Libraries)

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Getting creative with search terms

Good:

nurse AND education
advertising AND children
genetic engineering AND ethics

Better:

nurs* AND education
advertis* AND child*
gene* engineering AND ethic*

Best:

nurs* AND (educat* OR train* OR school*)
(advertis* OR market*) AND (child* OR adoles*)
gene* AND (alter* OR engineer*) AND (ethic* OR moral*)

*BE CAREFUL THOUGH!!*

Some words are not well-suited for truncation and will retrieve much more than you bargained for.

Look at "mat*". Our results could include mates, maternity, mating, matrix, and math.

Search terms plus boolean

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