Create a list of keywords from the main ideas in your research topic, then enter them into the Google search bar
Basic Search: Start with a simple keyword search related to your topic.
Example: ebola public health response
Advanced Strategies
Boolean Operators: Use AND, OR, and the minus sign ( - ) to refine your search.
Example: ebola AND epidemic
AND narrows search results by requiring that all keywords appear in the results.
Example: ebola OR hemorrhagic fever
OR broadens your results to include results that contain either or both of your keywords.
Example: human -primate
( - ) A minus sign in front of words excludes them from your search results.
Wildcard Search: Use an asterisk (*) as a placeholder for any word.
Example: Ecolog* = Will search for the words Ecology, Ecological
Phrase Search: Use quotation marks to search for an exact phrase.
Example: "public health"
Search Statement: Create a statement that will search a database
Example: ebola OR pandemic* OR epidemic AND timeline
5. Title Search: Use the intitle: prefix to find articles with specific words in the title.
intitle: deforestation ebola west africa or liberia or guinea or sierra leone6. Domain Search: Retrieve information from Academic, Governmental, and Organizational sites.
Use the following tips when considering information found through Google search:
1. Skim Titles
2. Look for additional keywords (Some suggestions are):
role
response
timeline
chronology
lesson
key events
overview
summary
3. Go past page 1 and the first 10 results
4. Try varous combinations of keywords
