The document provides tips for effectively analyzing a topic and searching for relevant information. It recommends identifying the main concepts and keywords in the topic, connecting keywords with Boolean operators like AND and OR, and using search tips like truncation symbols, wildcards, and phrase searching. Following these four steps of analyzing the topic, identifying keywords, linking keywords, and utilizing search tips can help obtain a more targeted and successful search.

1. Analysing your topic

2. Analyse your topic
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Look for the main idea
Identify keywords for these concepts
Connect your keywords with AND or OR
Use search tips like truncation and wildcard
symbols to improve search
– Spelling, different endings

3. Look for key concepts
• Typing the whole question or topic into the
search box may not find the most relevant
material
• What are the KEY concepts?
• HOT TIP : Do not use instructional words as
concepts. These only tell you what to do and
what type of material to look for. (e.g.
“discuss”, “give examples”)

4. Identify keywords
• Get a clear definition of the concepts
– These definitions help identify alternative
keywords
• Think of synonyms for the keywords (use
textbooks, dictionaries, thesauri)
– Even if the words do not have exactly the same
meaning, they still do describe similar or related
concepts

5. Link your search words with AND or
OR
• Combine synonyms with “or” – this will
broaden your search
– it will look for ANY of the keywords
• Combine different concept with “and” – this
will narrow your search
– It will look for all concepts together

6. Use truncation or wildcard symbols or
phrase searching
• Truncation symbol * is useful for searching singular, plural or
variations of a term
– Variations of a term do not need to be repeated
– E,g. Aborigines, Aboriginal, Aborigin*
• Increasing the number of results the wildcard symbol is used
– Example is a question mark?
• E.g. with different spellings e.g. organi?ation, wom?n
• Use inverted commas for phrase searches and makes the search
more relevant
– e.g. “tourism industry”
• decreases the number of results

7. Summary
• Whether you are searching the library
catalogue, databases or the internet – these
4 steps will help you search more effectively
1. Look for the main concepts in the topic
2. Identify keywords for theses concepts
3. Connect your search words with AND or
OR – the Boolean operators
4. Use search tips – if they are appropriate
– to improve your search