Gender Studies
Use a Search Plan to approach your research strategically.
A search plan has three parts that work together to help you find your sources.
Where will you look for information?
Search tools may be open web, like Google, or "deep web" or "hidden web", like Library databases.
Some standard search tools for any topic or subject include:
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Search Everything The Library's most powerful search tool lets you search a majority of all available search tools at once.
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ProQuest Central This link opens in a new window Serves as the central resource for researchers at all levels. Covering more than 160 subjects areas, ProQuest Central is the largest aggregated database of periodical content. This award-winning online reference resource features a highly-respected, diversified mix of content including scholarly journals, trade publications, magazines, books, newspapers, reports and videos. *This is a Traveler resource. The Traveler Statewide Resource project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
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Gale Power Search This link opens in a new window Cross-search the content of multiple Gale databases (including the content of Gale eBook titles) at one time through a streamlined, common user interface.
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Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
How will you look for information? What techniques or hacks will you use in the tools you choose?
Explore these helpful strategies.
Keywords 
"Exact phrase"
Suggestions
3 Magic Words
Filters or Limiters
What will you do as you search and start finding results?
You need to be:
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Flexible - Be willing to change directions based on what you find, or don't find. This could mean changing your strategies, your search terms, and possibly your working thesis or even your topic.
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Persistent - Try, and then try again. Maybe switch up your strategies or change your search tool. Consider your keywords or search terms - remember, the words you choose matter and they can make or break a search.
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Willing to Ask for HELP - Freshman and sophomores in college aren't expected to know how to do college-level research. You are beginners who are learning quickly. Know when to ask for help. The Library and your instructor are great resources. Use them!
Search Strategy Examples
Exact Phrase
Add Quotation Marks to search for an exact phrase or words in a specific or EXACT order. An exact phrase will return more accurate results because it snaps all of the words together, turning it into a phrase that must be found exactly in that order.
Example: gender roles vs. “gender roles”
3 Magic Words - AND, OR, NOT
Filters
Apply filters to limit your search results. Because they limit your results, filters might also be called limiters. The most common and helpful filters to limit your results are:
- Date: Limit to the past 5 years, or a specific date range
- Source Type: Limit to academic/scholarly sources or any other type, such as news or ebooks
- Peer Review: Limit to scholarly sources that have been peer reviewed
Keywords
Create a list of keywords associated with your topic.
What else could it be called (synonyms)? What describes it specifically (hyponyms)? What is it related to broadly (hypernyms)?
Topics can be narrowed or broadened depending on the use of search terms.
General: gender identity
Narrower: transgender people
Broader: identity