Information Literacy Instructional Program

Information Literacy Learning Guides

Search Strategy Worksheet

This worksheet is designed to help you refine your search strategy.  Fill in the blanks. 

DON'T FORGET TO PRINT ! This will disappear when you leave this site.

Your Name

Step 1. Summarize Your Topic 


In one or two sentences, summarize your search topic. In other words, what do you want to find information on?       Use your own words and try to be as specific as possible. 

example:      I would like to find information about anorexia and teenage girls and what influences them.

Step 2. Identify the Concepts. 


Identify your concepts. Concepts are the different elements which make up search topics. Most searches can be broken down into two or three main concepts. 

example:   I need information what influences anorexia in teenage girls. 

concepts: teenage girls /   eating disorders /    influences

List your concepts:

Step 3. Combine the terms. 


Connect the terms in the same concept column OR. Then combine the concept columns themselves by using the connector AND between the concepts in parentheses. Use synonyms or words the mean the same to expand your search.

example:

 

CONCEPT A CONCEPT B CONCEPT C
teenage girls AND anorexia AND television
teenagers AND eating disorders AND models
high school girls AND bulimia AND magazines

 

List your concepts:

CONCEPT A
CONCEPT B
CONCEPT C
AND
AND
AND
AND
AND
AND


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 Last Updated: 8/2/04