Search Strategy

A search strategy is a revisable translation of a research question into searchable concepts, relationships, and filters.

检索策略是把 research question 翻译成可搜索概念、逻辑关系与筛选条件的可修改方案。

Basic Pattern

1. Extract the main concepts as keywords.
2. Put multiword concepts in quotation marks.
3. Combine distinct concepts with AND.
4. Run the search and inspect several results.
5. Add synonyms, remove an overrestrictive term, or apply relevant limiters.

Diagnostic Rule

• Too many irrelevant results -> add a concept, use a phrase, or apply a justified limiter.
• Too few results -> remove a narrow term, try synonyms, or broaden the database.
• Relevant titles but wrong source type -> adjust content-type or peer-review filters.

The first query is not a final answer. Search results teach you the vocabulary of the field, which should feed back into the next query.

Connections

• Larger process: Information Literacy
• Result judgment: Source Evaluation
• Source module: AE26 Module 3-Information Literacy