Try a variety of search expression for your topic, including keywords and subject terms in various combinations. When you identify a relevant article, read the abstract for more key term and check the subjects and author keywords.

Be alert! As you research, continue to add relevant terms to your search:

• Consider alternative terms, abbreviations, narrower terms, broader terms and related terms.

• Use subject descriptors, database thesauri and article abstracts to identify additional terms and ideas.

• In your review of articles and websites, watch for references to research, reports and studies, which will point you to primary source documents.

The examples below include a variety of search expressions, with links to the database search results. Click the links to view the results, then tweak the search for other similar results.

opens new window"public speaking" AND (anxiety or stress) (in Communication & Mass Media Complete)

• opens new window"public speaking" AND (anxiety or stress) AND (predictors or risk factors) (in Communication & Mass Media Complete)
• opens new windowDE "speech anxiety" AND students (DE= subject search; in Communication & Mass Media Complete)
  A thesaurus search for"public speaking" recommends using "speech anxiety." (shown below)
  

When searching the Web for statistics, try limiting your results to government websites by adding site:.gov, as shown in the example below.

opens new window communication disorders children site:.gov

When searching in a database, try adding statistc*, data, percent, and similar terms to your search.

opens new window"public speaking" AND anxiety AND (percent OR statistic*) (in Communication & Mass Media Complete, Academic Search Complete, and Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection)

See: opens new windowHow to Find Statistics

Boolean Operators: AND, OR and NOT

Use the chart below to develop effective search expressions.

The examples below include a variety of search expressions, with links to the results. Click the links to view the results, then tweak a search for other similar results.

TOPIC: causes of stress with public speaking

• opens new window"public speaking" (anxiety OR stress) -- in Communication & Mass Media Complete
• "public speaking" AND (anxiety OR stress) AND (predictors OR risk factors) -- in Communication & Mass Media Complete
• opens new windowDE "speech anxiety" AND students --DE= subject search; in Communication & Mass Media Complete
• A thesaurus search for "public speaking" recommends using "speech anxiety." (shown below)
  
• opens new window"public speaking" AND (anxiety OR stress) AND (predictors OR risk factors) AND TX "college students" -- TX=text, "college students" appears in the article text; in multiple databases

TOPIC: women's influence and communication in the workplace

• opens new windowcommunication AND "african american" AND (workplace OR organization OR company) AND (influence OR effect*) -
  In multiple databases
• opens new window(women and workplace) AND "African American" AND DE "COMMUNICATION" - (in Academic Search Complete, Business Source Complete, Communication & Mass Media Complete, Social Work Abstracts, SocINDEX with Full Text; Sociological Collection)

TOPIC: effect of communication on generational poverty

• opens new windowTX communication AND (impact OR effect) AND "generational poverty" -
  In Academic Search Complete, Communication & Mass Media Complete, APA PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, SocINDEX with Full Text, Sociological Collection
• opens new windowDE "generational poverty" - (in Academic Search Complete)
• opens new window"nonverbal communication" AND TX generational poverty - (in Academic Search Complete)
• Sample article:opens new window "The Role and Place of Communication for Sustainable Social Change (CSSC)"

TOPIC: confidence and negotiation

• opens new windowDE "Negotiation" AND DE "Confidence" - (in Academic Search Complete, Communication & Mass Media Complete, APA PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, SocINDEX with Full Text; Sociological Collection)
• opens new windowDE "Negotiation" AND confidence AND (effective OR productive OR success) - (in multiple EBSCO databases)

TOPIC: successful workplace personality types

• opens new windowemployee AND personality types AND workplace environment - (in Academic Search Complete, Communication & Mass Media Complete, APA PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, SocINDEX with Full Text, Sociological Collection; Business Source Complete
• opens new windowworkplace AND personality types AND (success OR effective) - (in multiple EBSCO databases)

TOPIC: technology influence on children's social skills

• opens new windowDE "SOCIAL skills" AND (children OR young adult) AND technology AND (impact OR effect) - (in Academic Search Complete, Communication & Mass Media Complete, APA PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, SocINDEX with Full Text; Sociological Collection, Business Source Complete)
• opens new window(children OR young adult) AND "impact of technology" AND TX communication skills - (in multiple EBSCO databases)
• Sample search strings for Web statistics:
  --children and usage and technology and statistics and site:.gov
  opens new windowComputer and internet use from NCES: National Center for Education Statistics
  --children and fact sheet and social media and site:.gov
  opens new windowSocial Media Guide from CISA: Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency
• Reference example: opens new windowProCon.org: Social Networking

TOPIC: parenting styles and child development

• opens new windowDE "Parenting styles" AND "child development - (in Academic Search Complete; Communication & Mass Media Complete; APA PsycArticles; APA PsycInfo; Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection; SocINDEX with Full Text; Sociological Collection; Business Source Complete)
• opens new window"parenting styles" AND DE "CHILD development" AND effect* - (in multiple EBSCO databases)
• opens new window"parenting styles" AND "family communication" AND child development AND study - (in multiple EBSCO databases)
• opens new windowimpact AND parenting style AND child development - (in ScienceDirect)
• Reference example: opens new windowBarna: Research Shows Parenting Approach Determines Whether Children Become Devoted Christians

TOPIC: impact of social media on people's communication

• opens new windowDE "SOCIAL media" AND effect* AND (negative OR barrier) AND verbal communication - (in Academic Search Complete; Communication & Mass Media Complete; APA PsycArticles; APA PsycInfo; Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection; SocINDEX with Full Text; Sociological Collection; Business Source Complete; Family Studies Abstracts)
• opens new windowsocial media AND (barrier OR negative effect) AND "young adult" AND communication - (in ScienceDirect)
• Reference example: opens new windowProCon.org: Social Networking
• Web data sample search expressions: social media and (barrier OR negative effect) and "young adult" and communication and site:/gov

TOPIC: leadership effects on team culture

• opens new windowleadership AND effective team culture - (in SAGE Premier)
• opens new windowleadership AND effective team culture - (in multiple EBSCO databases)
• opens new windowDE "TEAMS in the workplace" AND effective leadership (in multiple EBSCO databases)
• Reference example: opens new windowBarna: 82% of Young Adults Say Society Is in a Leadership Crisis

TOPIC: perceptions of intimacy across cultures

• opens new windowculture AND gender AND (views OR expression* OR perception*) AND intimacy - (in multiple EBSCO databases)
• opens new window(perception OR expression) AND intimacy AND cultural differences - (in multiple EBSCO databases)
• opens new windowDE "INTIMACY" AND DE "CULTURE" - (in multiple EBSCO databases)
• iopens new windowntimacy AND (perceptions OR expressions) AND across cultures - (in SAGE Premier)