Information Literacy Tutorial: Answers

Which of these search methods is best when you are using literature references to find other relevant publications about your subject?

1. Snowball method
2. Keywords
3. Pearl-growing method
4. Search operators AND,  OR and NOT

Answer:

1. the snowball method: this is the most frequently used method for finding relevant publications.

How can you define your subject precisely?

1. By searching with the operator OR
2. By searching with wildcards/truncation
3. By specifying a period in years
4. By using a synonym

Answer:

3. By specifying a period in years. All the other answers refer to actions that would do the opposite, i.e. broaden your subject.

How can you combine different search terms to form a phrase/concept?

1. By using the operator AND
2. By using the operator OR
3. By placing the words between brackets
4. By using truncation or wildcards

Answer: 

The two correct answers are 1 (use AND) and 3 (use “.....”).

In some cases, the other option is to put the words in a single search box.

The options will depend on the database you are using, so it's a good idea to check using the Help function.