Research and Writing: Start Your Research

1. Use Simple Terms
   

   Use short, simple words or phrases. Don't type in your entire topic as one sentence.

   EXAMPLE: If you're writing about "the importance of peer relationships in the developmental stage of middle childhood," search only the key words/phrases: peer relationships and development and childhood.

2. Use Search Symbols (Boolean)
   

   or = expand your search by including different forms of a word. EXAMPLES: Stocks or bonds. Cats or felines.

   " " = search for a specific phrase. EXAMPLE: "World War Two"

   * = add 1-5 characters to the end of a word. EXAMPLES: Panda* finds panda and pandas. Inter* finds internal and internet.

3. Start Broad
   

   If you get too many results, you can always narrow your search terms later.

OneSearch is your one-stop shop for sources! This is a great place to start your research:

1. Type your keywords into the search box
    
2. Use the options on the left side of the screen to refine your search by content type (book, journal article, etc.) or to limit to scholarly publications.