What are the five main steps of bibliographic search methodology?
1️⃣ Topic definition
2️⃣ Keywords
3️⃣ Information sources
4️⃣ Search strategy
5️⃣ Outcomes (analysis & citation)
What should be considered before starting a bibliographic search?
Audience,
prior knowledge,
accessibility,
personal interest,
experience,
and language skills.
How should a research topic be defined?
As a single, precise, and operative sentence;
ideally limited by geography, time period, genre, and language.
What are good practices for selecting keywords?
Include synonyms,
acronyms,
alternative spellings,
and clear, specific terms
— exclude empty or vague words.
What factors should be considered when choosing information sources?
Thematic,
document type
, temporal,
geographic/institutional coverage
, and available search options.
What advantages do academic databases offer over general search engines
Specialized, peer-reviewed sources;
advanced filters;
citation tracking;
and access to full texts or abstracts.
What are Boolean operators used for in bibliographic searches?
• AND – combines terms (narrows search)
• OR – includes any listed terms (broadens search)
• NOT – excludes a term (filters out results)
What is truncation in a search strategy?
Using symbols (* or $) to include word variations.
Example: Educat* → education, educator, educate.
What is a phrase search and when is it useful?
Quotation marks (“...”) retrieve results with the exact wording and order.
Example: “memory disorders”.
What are search limits?
Filters like
year range,
document type,
language
, or subject category to refine search results.
How should search results be analyzed?
Read abstracts for relevance,
check cited references,
review keywords,
and track “cited by” links to find newer work.
Why is correct citation essential?
To acknowledge others’ work, document research, and ensure credibility and academic honesty.
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