Search Strategy
Definitions
CASA Criteria
Search Sources
Scholarly, Popular or Trade?
100
The first thing you need to know.
What is your Information Need?
100
This summarizes the main idea in your paper, presenting a point-of-view that could be reasonably argued against.
What is an argumentative thesis?
100
This criteria deals with how up-to-date a source is.
What is Currency?
100
Websites
What is a search engine?
100
Peer-reviewed.
What is scholarly?
200
This is the first step of translating your research question into a search phrase.
What is divide into concepts/remove fluff words?
200
Labels like toread and kissing_bull are examples of.
What is a folksonomy?
200
This criteria covers how complete a source is.
What is Scope?
200
Books
What is the online catalog (OPAC)?
200
Contains advertisements.
What is popular?
300
This is the next step after identifying key concepts.
What is select words to express each concept?
300
Reconstruction (U.S. History, 1865-1877) - Louisiana is an example of.
What is a taxonomy? (What is a controlled vocabulary or subject heading also acceptable.)
300
This criteria deals with the credentials of the author, publisher, etc...
What is Authority?
300
All the library locations for a specific journal.
What is the journal finder?
300
Usually devoted to a specific industry or profession.
What is trade?
400
You should know this before searching a database; the help screens may provide the answer.
What is what the database includes and how to search it?
400
Common examples are AND, OR, and NOT.
What are Boolean search operators?
400
This criteria covers a sources credibility (Is it verifiable?).
What is Accuracy?
400
Journal Articles
What are databases?
400
Not usually cited.
What is popular?
500
Review results and refine search strategy.
What is what do you do after inputting an initial search?
500
A journal article detailing the results of an experiment is an example of what.
What is a primary source?
500
This criteria is based in part on whether the source is primary or secondary.
What is Authority?
500
Invisible Web Resources
What are directories or research guides?
500
They contain qualitative or quantitative assessment of methods/strategies.
What is scholarly?
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