Overview of the search process

Searching for information for a thesis or student project can sometimes feel overwhelming. Where do you start, and how do you do it? Here is an overview of the search process, with tips on how to proceed in a structured manner. You can explore the different steps in more detail in the rest of the section.

Get an overview of your subject

It is often useful to start out with a general approach to your subject, not necessarily a scientific one. Googling your topic can provide you with ideas for terminology and current issues in your field. Above all, it will help you gain an overview of the subject. Perhaps you have chosen a subject that has been discussed in the media. In that case, it can be interesting to read news articles. Describing such a context also serves as an effective introduction to your work and establishes a connection to the world beyond the academic context.

Choose search terms

Based on your research question, you can develop concepts and keywords to use when searching in different search tools. Read more about how to find search terms:

Choose search terms

Choose where to search

Depending on the type of material you need, you should select the appropriate search tool. Scientific articles are best found using the library's search tool Primo, Google Scholar, or scientific databases like Scopus or Web of Science. However, if you're looking for something different, such as official government publications, statistics, maps, or datasets, you'll need to explore other specialized sources. It's essential to use the right search tool for your specific needs. More information on selecting search tools can be found on a future page:

Where to search

It is often not enough to search in one place to find all the material you need for your work, you may need to search in different types of search tools. This is illustrated in the video below from NC States University Libraries.

Film: One perfect source (2:08) (CC BY-NC-SA)
Text version of the video "One perfect source" (.docx) Download Text version of the video "One perfect source" (.docx)

Search

Now it's time to start the search! Read more about how you can search smart:

How to search

You often don't search for all the information once and for all, instead, you should view the search for information as an ongoing process. As you acquire new knowledge about your topic, you may need to go back, reformulate your search question and search for new aspects while working on your project.

Evaluate

If you get too many hits, it is a good idea to narrow your search further, and if you get too few hits, try to broaden your search. Once you are satisfied with the number of hits, you can take a closer look at the results, reading the titles and abstracts. If you still can't find what you're looking for, you'll need to adjust your search further to find results that are relevant to your topic. Sometimes the search query may not fit all databases equally well. You may also need to complete with other types of information such as statistics, legislation, public documents, maps, etc. Read more about how to evaluate your search results, and about strategies you can use if you for instance get too many or too few hits:

Evaluate your search

Documenting your searches

It is a good idea to document your searches in some way in case you need to repeat them at another time. Write down which search terms you used, how you combined them, and which ones gave good results. Many search tools also allow you to save your searches so you can come back and see exactly how you searched.