IMD236: Introduction to Reference

and Bibliometrics Services in

information Agencies

Topic 5: Search
Strategy
 Contents of the Topic
1.What is Search Strategy
2.Types of Searching
3.Steps of Searching
4.Database Search
5.Internet Search
 1. What is Search
Strategy?
1. Strategy is a plan that is intended to achieve a
particular purpose

2. Search strategy is the “action plan” for retrieving

3. Search strategy is the process of finding answers to

reference queries in the fastest and most efficient
way

4. Comprehensive plans for finding information --

including defining the information need and
determining the form in which it is needed if it
exists, where it is located, how it is organized, and
how to retrieve it.
 Search Strategy… Cont.
The search strategy is a systematic plan for conducting a
search in information retrieval. According to ODLIS (2023) it
consist of:-

1. Formulate a clear and concise topic statement (eg. The

impact of climate change on agriculture)
2. Identify the main concepts in the topic (eg. Concept 1.
Climate change, Concept 2. Agriculture)
3. Identify the finding tools for the subject (Dictionary,
Encyclopedia, Agris, Science Direct, Scopus, etc)
4. List the authorized subject heading(s) and descriptors
(Flood, drought, global warming, food shortage, food crisis,
food security)

(ODLIS, 2023)
Systematic Search
Literature
 2. Types of
Searching:-
1. Basic Search
2. Advanced Search
 Basic search

Basic Search is a simple interface that

allows you to locate sources by entering
any word or phrase.
Science Direct – Basic
search
 Advanced search

Advanced search is a built-in feature that

allows a user to specify additional
requirements for a search.
Science Direct – Advanced
Search
 3. Steps of Searching
Steps of searching is a strategy of the
information searching begin with an idea,
planning, strategy and success.
 Six (6) Steps of
Searching
In 1936, Carter Alexander proposed a model of
searching that lays out the steps taken in conducting
manual search in reference collection. This model
describe six (6) steps;
Six (6) steps of search strategy;

1 Clarifying the question 4 Locating the sources

Searching the materials

2 Selecting the materials 5 that have been selected

Evaluating the process

3 Prioritising the sources
identified
6 and repeat if necessary
 Step1: Clarifying the Questions

What level of detail

Which discipline? – is the information
find out what needed?
domain of How much Who will use it?
knowledge the information? Time needed
terms comes from Use of the Current or
Be familiar with the information – retrospective
topic – check the what does the Format
dictionary or user plan to do
encyclopaedia with the
information?
 Step 2: Selecting the Materials

Determine if the term has been established long enough to appear in

standard reference books, such as encyclopaedias or dictionaries of the
subject field or whether recent issues of index must be examined

Consult subject heading list to determine whether the topic appears as

subject heading that can be searched in a catalogue

Consider to search database if the term is too new to appear as subject

heading
 Step 3: Prioritize the Sources

Prioritize the sources identified in the order of their likelihood to

contain the information needed

Consider the level of detail desired and the level of understanding

exhibited by the user

For a layperson – a quick search in the general periodicals index or an

up-to-date encyclopaedia will be a good first priority
 Step 4: Locate the Source
Are they in reference area?

Held by the library?

Is it necessary to call another location or refer the user

elsewhere? Ex;- ILL / DDS
 Step 5: Search the Materials

Search the materials that have been selected until you find the
answer or until you are sure that the answer is not found there

This process is evaluative – determination of suitability varies with

librarian’s assessment of the user’s information need
 Step 6: Evaluating the Process

The search process is cyclic and may require asking the person
for further clarification, for more time needed or whether a
referral to another library would be desirable
 Methods of Searching

1. Manual Search
2. Computer Assisted Search
 4. Database Search

https://libguides.reading.ac.uk/database-s
earching/techniques
4. Database Search … cont.

1. Different databases have different strategies for search

information
2. Maintained by different publishers
3. Different interface
4. Truncation
 Database Search …
• cont.
The best strategy for finding online journal articles is to use an
electronic database
• Electronic database is a collection of articles compiled by a
company that indexes them according to author, title, date,
keywords, and other features
• Similar to an online catalog, an electronic database allows you to
search for sources by author, title, keyword and so on
• Such databases focus on specific subject areas
• A database search will generally yield an abstract, a short
summary of an article, which will help you to make decision
whether you should get the full or the complete text or not, which
you can downloaded or printed.
• The Web site of most library, offers a lengthy list of databases
accessible by name, subject, and so on.
• Examples of online database provided by PTAR are Emerald,
Ebscohost (Academic Search Premier), Science Direct, ACM
Digital Library, etc.
 Database Search… cont.
A search strategy by using database is an organized
structure of key terms used to search. The search
strategy combines the key concepts of your search
question in order to retrieve accurate results. Your search
strategy will account for all: possible search terms,
keywords and phrases.

Eg. 1. SDG (terms)

2. Reference service (phrases)
3. Bibliometrics (keywords)
 Tips for Conducting Database
Search
1. Identify keywords that clearly represent the topic
2. Determine the databases you want to search
3. Perform your search, using logical operators (AND, OR,
NOT)
4. Refine your search strategy if the first search returns
too many or too few citations or (worse) irrelevant ones
5. Download and print the relevant articles
 5. Internet Search
1. Internet search also called query search
2. Internet search means a search via a
search engine that has indexed a large
portion of the World Wide Web
3. An Internet search engine is a service
that searches the Internet for specific
items, following search terms specified
by a user. The items retrieved may be
texts, images, audio files, or video files.
The leading Internet search engines, in
decreasing order of United States usage
share as of April 2023, were Google
(92.57%), Bing, Baidu, Yahoo!, etc.
5. Internet Search… cont.
An Internet search engine is a service that
searches the Internet for specific items,
following search terms specified by a user. The
items retrieved may be texts, images, audio
files, or video files.
 Search Strategy in the
Internet
1. Boolean operator (AND, OR, NOT)
2. Phrase searching (eg. “Information retrieval” , “library
science”)
3. Proximity search (library*science, google*search (1-3
word between)
4. Fuzzy search
5. Stemming (information literacy)
6. Truncation searches (litera$)
7. Wildcard (eg. Analy*e)
Various Types of Reference
Questions

1. Directional
2. Ready reference
3. Specific search question
3. Research
 Refer to Katz, W.A.
Directional Questions
• Also known as general information

• The answer basically on geographical

knowledge of key locations

• Example: “Where is the catalog?” “Where

is the indexes?”
Ready Reference Questions
• Data queries that require only single, usually
uncomplicated, straightforward answer.

• Answers normally be found in standard reference works

(eg. Encyclopedias, Almanac, etc)

• Example: “Who is the world’s tallest person?” “What is the

name of the governor of Alaska?”
Specific Search Questions
• Always take the form of giving the user document,
a list of citations, a book, a report and Internet
site, etc. (Rather than data)

• Example: “What is the difference between

information overload and information explosion?”
“Where can I find information on Information
Warfare?”
 Research Questions
• Almost any of the questions described in the ‘specific search’ may be
turned into research questions.

• Users seek detailed information to assist specific work.

Example:
Ready reference “ What materials have information on Salmon?”
Specific search “Where one can catch Salmon?”
Research “Where one can catch Salmon and how can we protect them?”
 Thanks
!
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