Sociology: Search Strategy

Library resources for research and study in Sociology

Search Strategy & Tips

  1. State your topic or research question in your own words (example: Does having money really make you happy?). Natural language searches often work well in OneSearch, but for individual subject databases:
  2. Identify the most important keywords (usually the substantive nouns) or short, commonly used phrases.
  3. Think of variations (singular, plural) and synonyms for your terms.
  4. Create an initial search statement using connectors or logical operators (especially AND, OR) and, if appropriate, wildcards.
  5. Try it out in one or more databases and/or Library Catalog.
  6. Look for other good keywords and subject terms in search results.
  7. Try revised searches until you're satisfied with the results.
  8. Depending on the volume of results, consider narrowing or broadening your topic.
  9. If you're having difficulties, contact us.

Find more (broaden your results) with OR and wildcards:
   drug abuse OR drug addiction  (finds either term)
   anorexia OR anorexic
   anorexi(finds anorexia, anorexic, anorexics, etc.)

Find less (narrow your results) with AND:
   bipolar disorder AND drug therapy   (finds both terms)

Find less with NOT:
   attention span NOT adhd   (excludes records that mention adhd)

Sample search statement:
   (money OR income OR salar*) AND happiness

Limiters can help to improve the relevance and focus of results:

  • Narrow results with standard limiters (peer-reviewed, date, document type, language; etc.)
  • Some databases allow quotation marks for an "exact phrase"
  • PsycINFO has specialized limiters for age groups, population group (human, animal, male, female, inpatient, outpatient), tests and measures, and methodology (clinical case study, empirical study, etc.)
  • Try restricting some terms to the title or abstract field
  • Try restricting some terms to the subject or descriptors field. Subject terms can vary from database to database, but using them usually improves relevance so look for them in results displays and detailed records. In PsycINFO, you also can browse a subject terms Thesaurus.
  • Look for different, relevant keywords or subject terms to try
  • Simplify your search by removing less critical search terms or limiters
  • Expand some terms to the all text or full text field, if provided
  • Try a different database or OneSearch
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Sample Searches

  • Subject terms, while helpful for focusing results, sometimes are not assigned until after the initial posting of a record. You also may want to try using subject terms as simple keywords (i.e., without requiring them to appear in the subjects field).
  • Don't limit to full text when you're exploring a topic in depth. You'll miss full text that's available via Find It @ UHCL.

Shows some terms limited to subject field while others use no field or a geographic terms field plus a limiter for scholarly peer-reviewed journals

  • When looking for research studies, trying relevant keywords in the Abstract field often finds more than looking for the term "research" in the Classification Code Title field; you may want to try both approaches
  • When you limit a term to the Subjects field, the Classification Code Title field will be included, also

Searches that use research-related keywords limited to the abstract field as described above or with the word research in the CT classification code title field plus limiters for scholarly peer-reviewed journals

  • Sociological Abstracts lacks immediate full text. Use Find It @ UHCL in results to look for full text or to access "request an article" links.

Search for income inequality or income distribution in subject headings and minority or minorities or race or racial or ethnic with a wildcard plus limiters for peer reviewed and scholarly journals

Relatively simple searches usually work well. To include limiters such as format, language, etc., use Advanced Search.

Sample search for discriminat* with a wildcard and race or ethnic

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Bayou Building 2402, 2700 Bay Area Blvd, Houston, TX 77058-1002
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