History and Political Science: Searching and Writing Tips

Database Searching Tips:

1. When doing searches in databases for an assignment, first think about what your topic or question is. 
   • A research question helps you define an aspect of the topic you would like to explore further.
   • A good research question is clear, concise, and can be answered.
   • Do some background research that helps you get an idea of the scope and boundaries of your research. (This is where something like Wikipedia can be used cautiously.)
   • See this video.
2. Next, what are the buzz words or keywords of your topic?
   • Make a list.
   • Start general with general terms.
   • Then narrow down to more specific keywords.
   • Don't type in whole sentences; stick to relevant keywords.
   • This video has a great tutorial on thinking through your search strategy.
3. Use the Boolean Operators and Modifiers with your keywords to include the results you want and filter out what you don't want. 
   • AND, OR, NOT are the 3 Boolean Operators. They are helpful for expanding or narrowing your search. See this video.
   • " ", *, ( ) are Boolean Modifiers. These help you clarify search terms even further by defining word order, introducing "wildcards" and grouping terms. See this video.
4. When you find a good article, these clues can lead you to others:
   • Check the Bibliography of the article for more articles.
   • Begin with reading more general articles on your topic, then more specific ones about your thesis.
   • You will find articles to support the different aspects of your essay and thesis.
5. Lastly, there are always librarians ready to help you! Visit, email, or call Welder Library for additional assistance. You can also book an appointment for more in-depth research support.

Check out this curated search of our A-Z Database list to see the resources available for History and Political Science!

A-Z Databases - History and Political Science