College of San Mateo

LIBR105

Lesson Six

Effective Searching Strategies for Electronic Resources

Learning Objectives:

The goals for this lesson include:

• To understand Boolean logic and the use of the logical operators OR and AND.

• To understand how to prepare and execute an advanced keyword search, including how to:

• divide a research question into concepts and list synonyms for each concept, and

• use logical operators to link search terms and sets.

• To understand how to revise a search if results are not satisfactory.

Reading Assignments:

Quaratiello, Arlene Rodda. The College Student’s Research Companion. 4^th ed. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2007.

• Read Chapter Seven:  “Navigating the World Wide Web,” pp. 127-151.

Read the online article by Dennis Wolbers, entitled Boolean Logic: The Use of OR and AND.

Homework:

Complete the Lesson Six Graded Assignment .

• E-mail it to Mark Fink at finkm@smccd.net .

• Read the LIBR105 blog entry for this assignment, which can be accessed here: http://libr105.wordpress.com/

• Respond to the question posed by the instructor that pertains to this assignment. 
• Add your own comment(s) and/or questions to the blog.

Return to the LIBR105 Course Syllabus or go on to Lesson Seven .