Library Research Basics: Piece your statement together

The research organization worksheet linked below brings together all aspects of the research process we've learned so far:

• The topic and research question
• The concept terms from the research question
• Synonyms for each concept term (that you've brainstormed or learned from a reference source or from a broad search in a multidisciplinary database)
• Utilization of Boolean Operators: AND OR
• Truncation (aggressi* will return results for the words aggressive and aggression)
• Phrase Searching ("video games" in quotes will return results for the two words together as a phrase)

This is a visual way to organize your research.  The information on the chart can then be transferred easily to a database.

Use this blank worksheet below to create your own search statement:

Creating a Search String
Des Moines Area Community College tutorial on creating a search string.

Search String Builder
Georgia State University tool for creating a search string using Boolean

The worksheet above can be transcribed into a search string (What I like to call "word algebra")

Here's how it would look written out:

("Video Games" OR "Grand Theft Auto" OR "Mortal Combat") AND (Violen* OR Aggressi*) AND (Child* OR Teen* OR Adolescen*)

Here's how it would look in a database:

Notice that this particular database automatically inserts the Boolean operator AND.  Use a different search box for each concept, listing a few of your best synonyms separated by the Boolean operator OR.  Notice, too, that the Boolean operators are in all caps.