This document provides guidance on effective searching strategies for finding academic sources. It discusses identifying keywords, using Boolean operators to combine search terms, and searching specific academic databases. The key steps outlined are to identify keywords and synonyms for the topic, combine them using Boolean operators, and search databases like Scopus and Google Scholar. It emphasizes searching for both known and unknown information, evaluating source credibility, and using snowball searching to find related articles.

1. Effective Searching:
Logistics Management 354
PeplerHead
FacultyLibrarian:EconomicandManagementSciences
peplerh@sun.ac.za

2. In this session we’ll be looking at
Effective Searching
Known & unknown searching
Database
Evaluating Sources
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3. Library Guides
3
Find appropriate databases
on your specific library guide

4. 4
Searching for sources

5. Step 1: Identify your keywords
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Write down your topic:
The adoption of green initiatives in logistics service
providers
Main Concepts:
Green Initiatives
Logistics

6. Step 2: Identify Synonyms
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Green Initiatives Logistics
Environmentally
Friendly
The influence of the internet on real estate agencies

7. Step 3: Combine Keywords
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Boolean Operators - AND / OR / NOT
AND – returns results with both keywords
OR – returns results with one or the other keyword
NOT – returns results excluding specific keywords

8. Step 3: Combine Keywords
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Boolean Operators - AND / OR / NOT

9. Step 3: Combine Keywords
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Boolean Operators - AND / OR / NOT
Quotation Marks “ ” – keep keywords together, for
exact phrase searching
Brackets ( ) – keep concepts together, used for
synonyms

10. Step 3: Combine Keywords
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Search phrase:
(“green initiatives” OR
“environmentally friendly”) AND
logistics

11. Scopus
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12. Scopus
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Select S from the A-Z
list and click Scopus

13. Scopus
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Search with
keywords
Select field
to search

14. Scopus
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Filter results
on the left
Expand the article
record by clicking
the title

15. Snowball searching
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Finding one article, and using it to find
other, similar articles.

16. Snowball searching
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Can be done in Databases like Scopus,
Web of Science & Google Scholar

17. Google & Google Scholar
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Can be done in Databases like Scopus,
Web of Science & Google Scholar

18. 18
Google Indexing
▪ Full text indexing
▪ Search keywords can be anywhere in document:
Title, abstract, url, full text, reference list etc.
▪ Important to search very specifically

19. 19
Google Indexing - Exercise
Search the below phrase and tell me which book it is from:
This great law of economics results in the equally famous
supply curve. Without the supply curve, many of the chart-
based theories of economics fall apart.

20. 20
Google Search tips
▪ Search specific domains:
▪ Search specific files or results:
define:
filetype:
intext:
intitle:
inurl:

21. Known Searching
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Searching for information that you have
the information for, and simply need
access to the pdf

22. Journals/Magazines
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23. Google Scholar Settings
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24. Journals/Magazines
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Search
Journal/Magazine

25. Journals/Magazines
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See access details

26. Journals/Magazines
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Select specific database

27. Journals/Magazines
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Search within journal
Search
through
journal
issues

28. Journals/Magazines
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Search within journal
using keywords

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30. Finding credible academic sources
Reliability:
From a reputable source/institution- publisher, University, Research Unit,
Company
Authority:
Creator is an expert in their field, and affiliated with a reputable institution
Validity :
The research was conducted in a manner that is commonly accepted in the
field, and is evident in the article
Accuracy:
The information can be verified
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31. Reliable internet sources
Any Website ending in:
.org; .gov; .edu; .ac
Official News sites like :
Moneyweb Business Day;
SA Statistics ; FNB; ABSA; Investec; SA Reserve
Bank; Finforum; Bankmonitor ; Eskom
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32. 32

33. Good news
Using Academic Databases provided by the library will
assist you in finding relevant, credible information for your
assignments. Examples:
Google Scholar
Science Direct
SUN Search (Library Catalogue)
Emerald
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Thank you – Any Questions?