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EENG 489 Capstone Project: Searching

This guide is for students In the EENG-489 design capstone project. It includes databases, research tips, and other resources to finalize your capstone project.

Refine your topic

Use discipline appropriate  controlled vocabulary, keywords, synonyms, and related terms to control search query 

Use the Boolean Search Strategy: The boolean search strategy is a system of showing relationships between sets using the words AND, OR, NOT. It is an important tool that could be used when search catalogs, indexes, or the web. 

Keyword + Boolean search strategy + keyword

Android AND Smartphone  = Narrows your search

Mobile phone OR Smartphone = Broadens your search

Smartphone NOT iPhone = Excludes your search

Boolean Searching

Use boolean operators to expand or limit your search returns

Finding Articles

Scholarly Journals, Conference Proceedings, Trade Journals

To find the most recent research and developments , access our databases of scholarly journals, trade journals, and conference papers in your area of research.

Find Books

Search for books, journals, videos, and web-based [electronic resources]

   

Vocabularies

Controlled Vocabularies
● Controlled vocabularies are sets of standard words used to
describe electronic and print resources
● Controlled vocabularies are used to group together related
subjects, or areas of knowledge under a standard, searchable
term. This allows like items to be grouped by like terms,
making retrieval much more efficient

Searching with Vocabularies:
● Consider similar words to describe your topic
● Think of different words to describe the same concept
● Use Thesaurus or Subject Term tools to find the similar terms
● Use broader, narrower, and related terms to explore different
areas of related research
● Examine Subject Headings as they appear on similar articles
● Search for new articles using these exact terms

Identifying [electronic resources]

Look for the blue CLICK HERE button to access eBooks directly from the catalog.

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