ASU Libraries

Search Strategies
Analyzing an assignment topic
Creating an initial search strategy
Brainstorming for keywords
Keyword searching
Keyword search tools
Boolean connector – AND
Boolean connector – OR
Boolean connector – NOT
Nesting
Truncation
Creating and using a search strategy

Keyword searching

Individual items in a library catalogue or journal database are known as records. Each record contains a number of fields, most of which can be searched.

Keyword searching is very powerful because it searches all fields simultaneously, unlike author, title or subject searches which search only in the specified field.

Use keyword searching when:
  • combining more than one topic or aspect of a topic
  • simultaneously searching all fields of a record
  • the exact title or author of an item is not known
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