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Assignment | Rogerian Argument (Reeves): Search Tips

ENGL 1302 | Prof. Brian Reeves (Spring 2024)

Search Filters

Pay attention to what filters you have selected: online full time, peer reviewed, published with a certain range of dates, written in a specific language...

Search filters on the main discovery search highlight: they're placed right under the search bar

Advanced Search in the Library Databases

Workshop: Search Strategies by LSC-UP Library

Develop Your Keywords

Once you know your topic and your research question, you need to figure out how you're going to find more in-depth information.

First, pick out the key terms from your research question: 

What effects on the education system does racial discrimination have?

Next, you'll want to brainstorm some related and alternate terms for these keywords to give you some variability in your search strategies.

When you use the advanced search, you'll be able to mix and match: Column 1 AND Column 2 AND (Column 3, row 1 OR Column 3, row 2).
 Effects Education Racial (Race) Discrimination
Impact Public schools Ethnicity Prejudice
Results Charter schools Specific examples: black, Hispanic, etc Bias
Graduation rates

K-12

Primary education

elementary/middle/high school

   Advantages/
disadvantages
Completion rates Secondary school   Inequity, inequality
Retention rates School funding   Affirmative action
Education gap Socioeconomic clusters in school zoning    
       

For example,

(impact OR results) AND "public schools" AND (race or ethnicity) AND equity

See results for this search. And results for same keywords, but with added filters (English, online full text, peer reviewed journal articles, published in last 10 years).

 

(graduation rates) AND "public schools" AND (Hispanic OR Latino OR Latina)