The document provides guidance on searching for information and ebooks in library databases. It outlines a six step process for effective searching: 1) defining your topic, 2) considering search terms, 3) linking terms, 4) choosing databases, 5) searching and modifying searches, and 6) evaluating results. Specific databases recommended for articles, business data, and subjects like leadership, emotional intelligence, and employee engagement are identified. The document also provides a link to access ebooks and view demonstrations on searching key databases.

1. Searching techniques
Library and Information Services

2. Ebooks
Searching for ebooks on the catalogue
(if accessing offsite the URL is http://library.yorksj.ac.uk)
– Use the library catalogue to find the following
ebook and go to the full text:
Gower handbook of leadership and management
development
– You may wish to watch the online demonstration

3. The searching process
 Step one - Spend some time thinking about your topic
 Step two – Considering your search terms
 Step three - Linking your search terms together
 Step four - Choosing your databases
 Step five - Searching and modifying your search online
 Step six - Relevant results retrieved! Next steps

4. Step one
 Spend some time thinking about your topic to
define and clarify your research question
 Break down search topic into sections
 Think of keywords to describe the topic

5. Step two
Think about the search words
 Generic words can be omitted eg: discuss,
assess, importance
 Consider alternative terms- look at Oxford
Reference online business dictionaries
 Alternative spellings such as organis/zation or
behavio(u)r: use asterisk eg: behavio*r
 Search for different word endings such as
leader, leaders and leadership: truncate using
asterisks eg: leader*

6. Step three
Linking search words together
 AND search – combining two different subjects
together
 OR search – alternative words, often crucial to
success of the search eg: workplace OR organization
 Words as a phrase eg: “transformational leadership”.
May be a phrase search option, or use quotation
marks.

7. Step four
Choosing your database
 For articles
– Emerald full text
– Academic OneFile
– PsycINFO and possibly Greenfile (EBSCO)
 Business and market data
– Marketline
– Mintel (only accessible once registered with a YSJ email
address)

8. Step five
Searching and modifying online
 Different databases will use different search terms to describe
same subject
 Check what subject terms (called keywords in Emerald) are
used for your topic and modify the search if necessary
 Limit to searching within different indexes eg: subject, article
title, author
 Limit to years of publication
 Limit to type of document eg: books, book chapters, journal
articles, conference papers, reports.

9. Step six
Relevant results retrieved!
 Item is full text – go direct to article, linking via a
database or via library catalogue
 Item has abstract only – can you access or request
the full article via your local library?

10. Leadership styles and employee
engagement
 Emerald
– Leader* (all except full text)
AND “employee involvement” (phrase all except full
text)
 PsycINFO
– Leadership style (subjects)
AND employee involvement or employee motivation
(subjects)

11. Emotional intelligence and leadership
 Emerald
– Emotional intelligence (keyword phrase) and
leader* (keywords)
 Academic OneFile
– Try browse subjects option: emotional
intelligence, then search in results for leadership
 PsycINFO
– Emotional intelligence and leadership (subjects)
and link to article in Journal of management studies

12. Summary of useful links
 Ebooks - online demonstration
 Emerald - online demonstration
 Business subject page
 How to plan a search strategy
 Search techniques