To get started with your search, you need to have a clear understanding of what you are being asked to research, write about, or answer. This will impact where to search for the information you need.
Library Search is the Library's online discovery tool, and a good place to start with any search. It gives to access to ebooks, articles, dissertations, newspapers, and other similar content. Visit the Library Search videos tab to learn more about how to search most effectively.
The library also subscribes to hundreds of specialist online resources. They include databases like JSTOR, Scopus, and Web of Science. You can search these specialist database by clicking the Online Resources A-Z tab on the Library homepage. Alternatively, if you are unsure which resource fits best with your search, take a look at your subject guide, which collates all the online resources relevant to your subject area.
To get started with your search, you need to have a clear understanding of what you are being asked to research, write about, or answer.
What is your understanding of this topic?
What is your research question trying to address?
Search engines like it best when you use keywords or phrases, rather than sentences when searching. Break down your topic or question into a few keywords.
cheating
exams
university
Search engines only search the exact words you input.
It's important to search a variety of search words, as not every author will use the exact same words that you have chosen to search.
Searching "assessment" as well as exams
searching "colleges" as well as universities
searching "plagiarism" as well as cheating
You can combine multiple search words using search connectors, sometimes called Boolean operators. Boolean operators include: AND, OR, NOT.
Using connectors can improve the relevancy of your results, as the search engine or database will search your keywords in a more specific and filtered way.
Click on the Boolean searching tab to learn more about how to use connectors.