{"id":655,"date":"2024-06-01T15:07:43","date_gmt":"2024-06-01T15:07:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress-projects.wolfware.ncsu.edu\/ncsuereseng\/?page_id=655"},"modified":"2025-06-09T15:30:39","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T15:30:39","slug":"developing-a-search","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wordpress-projects.wolfware.ncsu.edu\/ncsuereseng\/developing-a-search\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Searching Literature"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-1 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"862\" height=\"264\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress-projects.wolfware.ncsu.edu\/ncsuereseng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/389\/2025\/06\/e-REF-Logo-V-2-9.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1949\" style=\"width:100px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress-projects.wolfware.ncsu.edu\/ncsuereseng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/389\/2025\/06\/e-REF-Logo-V-2-9.png 862w, https:\/\/wordpress-projects.wolfware.ncsu.edu\/ncsuereseng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/389\/2025\/06\/e-REF-Logo-V-2-9-300x92.png 300w, https:\/\/wordpress-projects.wolfware.ncsu.edu\/ncsuereseng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/389\/2025\/06\/e-REF-Logo-V-2-9-768x235.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 862px) 100vw, 862px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"keyword-generation\" style=\"font-size:52px\">Keyword Generation<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:350px\">\n<p style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>Navigation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul style=\"font-size:18px\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"font-size:18px\"><a href=\"#keyword-generation\">Keyword Generation<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"font-size:18px\"><a href=\"#using-databases-effectively\">Using Databases Effectively<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-default\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:22px\">Summary<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:22px\"><strong>Keyword generation<\/strong> is the process of selecting relevant terms or phrases to guide your search for sources. It\u2019s usage helps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol style=\"font-size:22px\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"font-size:22px\"><strong>Narrow and refine searches<\/strong> to find relevant information.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"font-size:22px\"><strong>Expand searches<\/strong> by using synonyms and related terms.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"font-size:22px\"><strong>Save time<\/strong> by filtering out irrelevant results.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"font-size:22px\"><strong>Optimize database searches<\/strong> for better results.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"font-size:22px\"><strong>Refine your research questions<\/strong> for a clearer focus.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:22px\">Learning Outcomes<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<ul style=\"font-size:22px\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"font-size:22px\"><strong>Review strategies<\/strong> for keyword generation in engineering and research<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"font-size:22px\"><strong>Evaluate the usage of boolean expressions<\/strong> to perform information retrieval.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:35px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-2 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-vimeo wp-block-embed-vimeo wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Keywords for Searching\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/816213612?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:22px\">Reference: [1]<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div style=\"height:75px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"365\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress-projects.wolfware.ncsu.edu\/ncsuereseng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/389\/2024\/11\/Keywords-for-Searching-Visual.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1503\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress-projects.wolfware.ncsu.edu\/ncsuereseng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/389\/2024\/11\/Keywords-for-Searching-Visual.png 960w, https:\/\/wordpress-projects.wolfware.ncsu.edu\/ncsuereseng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/389\/2024\/11\/Keywords-for-Searching-Visual-300x114.png 300w, https:\/\/wordpress-projects.wolfware.ncsu.edu\/ncsuereseng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/389\/2024\/11\/Keywords-for-Searching-Visual-768x292.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:22px\"><strong>Boolean Operators<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:22px\">Boolean operators are logical tools (<strong>AND, OR, NOT<\/strong>) used to combine or exclude keywords in searches, making them highly relevant for database queries. This precision saves time and ensures more relevant and accurate results when searching for information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-3 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress-projects.wolfware.ncsu.edu\/ncsuereseng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/389\/2024\/11\/Boolean-Operators-Visual2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1489\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress-projects.wolfware.ncsu.edu\/ncsuereseng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/389\/2024\/11\/Boolean-Operators-Visual2.png 960w, https:\/\/wordpress-projects.wolfware.ncsu.edu\/ncsuereseng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/389\/2024\/11\/Boolean-Operators-Visual2-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/wordpress-projects.wolfware.ncsu.edu\/ncsuereseng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/389\/2024\/11\/Boolean-Operators-Visual2-768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:650px\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-vimeo wp-block-embed-vimeo wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Boolean Operators\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/718048546?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:22px\">Reference: [2]<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"using-databases-effectively\" style=\"font-size:52px\">Using Databases Effectively<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:22px\">Summary<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:22px\"><strong>Databases<\/strong> are organized collections of information such as scholarly articles, technical reports, patents, and industry standards. In research and engineering, databases are essential for efficient information retrieval, enabling users to quickly locate relevant, high-quality sources. They support advanced search functionalities\u2014such as keyword, author, and subject filtering\u2014helping researchers find specific information within vast collections. Databases are useful because they centralize access to trusted sources, save time in the research process, and provide comprehensive coverage of current and historical developments. This makes them critical tools for staying updated on advancements, supporting innovation, and ensuring research rigor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:22px\">Learning Outcomes<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"font-size:22px\"><strong>Identify databases available<\/strong> for information retrieval in engineering<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"font-size:22px\"><strong>Outline the importance of curated repositories<\/strong> and information sources<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:35px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-4 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/ncsu.hosted.panopto.com\/Panopto\/Pages\/Embed.aspx?id=d72a20eb-58f8-4bfb-9e07-afbd0104596e\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\" style=\"border: 1px solid #464646;\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:22px\">Reference: [3]<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:22px\"><strong>How can you trust information?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:22px\">The simple answer is that &#8220;you can&#8217;t&#8221;. However, there are steps you can take to ensure you are using quality knowledge or material. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"font-size:22px\">Search for sources with at least <strong>five independant references<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"font-size:22px\">Search for sources with <strong>independant verification<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"font-size:22px\">Be Skeptical<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:22px\">For more information read this chapter on investigating resources: <a href=\"https:\/\/eng.libretexts.org\/Bookshelves\/Introductory_Engineering\/EGR_1010%3A_Introduction_to_Engineering_for_Engineers_and_Scientists\/06%3A_Understanding_(how_to_investigate_on_your_own)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">LibreText<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-5 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p style=\"font-size:22px\"><strong>North Carolina State University Database<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:22px\">Link to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lib.ncsu.edu\/databases\">NC State<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lib.ncsu.edu\/databases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> Libraries <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lib.ncsu.edu\/databases\">Databases<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul style=\"font-size:22px\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If you know exactly what database you want to use, find it using the search bar at the top of the page<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you\u2019re not sure what database you want to use, select the most relevant subject in the Browse Databases by Discipline list, to see that subject\u2019s database page (i.e.: here\u2019s what the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lib.ncsu.edu\/disciplines\/electrical-and-computer-engineering\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Electrical and Computer Engineering Database page<\/a> looks like)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you need a specific <em>kind<\/em> of source for a project (like a data set, a newspaper article, government document, etc.), look at our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lib.ncsu.edu\/databases\/features\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Database Features<\/a> list, to find databases that have that specific type of information in them.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-vimeo wp-block-embed-vimeo wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Getting to Article Databases (2022)\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/671974465?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:22px\">Reference: [4]<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:22px\"><strong>References<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:22px\">[1] NC State University Libraries. <em>Keywords for Searching<\/em>. Vimeo, April 10, 2023. https:\/\/vimeo.com\/816213612 (accessed 2024-11-10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:22px\">[2] NC State University Libraries. <em>Boolean Operators<\/em>. Vimeo, June 7, 2022. https:\/\/vimeo.com\/718048546 (accessed 2024-11-10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:22px\">[3] Borda, K. <em>Using Databases Effectively<\/em>. Panopto, 2023. https:\/\/ncsu.hosted.panopto.com\/Panopto\/Pages\/Viewer.aspx?id=d72a20eb-58f8-4bfb-9e07-afbd0104596e&amp;start=0 (accessed 2024-11-10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:22px\">[4] NC State University Libraries. <em>Getting to Article Databases<\/em>. Vimeo, January 31, 2022. https:\/\/vimeo.com\/671974465 (accessed 2024-11-10).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Keyword Generation Navigation Summary Keyword generation is the process of selecting relevant terms or phrases to guide your search for sources. It\u2019s usage helps: Learning Outcomes Reference: [1] Boolean Operators Boolean operators are logical tools (AND, OR, NOT) used to combine or exclude keywords in searches, making them highly relevant for database queries. This precision [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7544,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-655","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-projects.wolfware.ncsu.edu\/ncsuereseng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-projects.wolfware.ncsu.edu\/ncsuereseng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-projects.wolfware.ncsu.edu\/ncsuereseng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-projects.wolfware.ncsu.edu\/ncsuereseng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7544"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-projects.wolfware.ncsu.edu\/ncsuereseng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=655"}],"version-history":[{"count":59,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-projects.wolfware.ncsu.edu\/ncsuereseng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/655\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1950,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-projects.wolfware.ncsu.edu\/ncsuereseng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/655\/revisions\/1950"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-projects.wolfware.ncsu.edu\/ncsuereseng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}