In this section you will learn how to search efficiently in the information sources you have chosen.

We will introduce you to the snowball method, the pearl-growing method and citation searches.

The various search options are listed in the chapter 'Search techniques and search tips' to help you search more specifically in the databases.

Each database has its own search options. In many cases you can search for specific materials (books or articles only), you can search with the names of authors or with subject codes or keywords. With the search techniques you will learn how to combine search terms with AND, OR and NOT, to include different spellings by means of truncation/masking, and how to search for exact phrases. Always consult the Help-function of a specific database if you need more information about how to search in it.

After studying this section you will be able to search efficiently and effectively.

You will be able to decide which of the various search methods is best for your research, and which search techniques will produce the best results.

You will learn to focus your searches, and this will save you time.