When you search, do you get too few hits? Too many? Are the results not relevant to your topic? Save yourself time and effort with the Search Techniques Tutorial. Learn about:

Boolean Operators	Truncation	Phrase Searching	Nesting	Field Searching	Wildcards

If you are completing the tutorial as a class assignment, be sure to use complete the verification form at the end.

Take the Search Techniques Tutorial Now.

cc licensed (BY) flickr photo shared by andymangold

Not finding enough on your topic? Not finding anything on your topic? Are you using the best keywords and concepts to describe what you're looking for?

Brainstorming the different words and phrases used to describe your topic is one the most helpful things you can do to start your research. It gets you really thinking about your topic and the ways it can be approached.

If you're having trouble getting the storm started, try reading a few encyclopedia articles. Look for keywords in the article and the different ways it's described there. You might start by searching for information in online reference packages such as Oxford Reference Online or Credo Reference.

A good exercise to get to know your topic is to read articles on it from a few different types of encyclopedias. You might start by searching for information in a general encyclopedia like Encyclopedia Britannica.

Next you might try a more expansive, if not more reliable encyclopedia like Wikipedia.

Finally, compare the depth and quality to what you find in specialized encyclopedias such as those found in the Credo Reference Library.

Also check out the Reference List or Works Cited in each article for more information on topic.