EDUC 246: Home

When you are creating a search query to use when locating resources in databases, it is helpful to brainstorm multiple keywords. 

For example, let's say my topic is the effect reading at a young age has on adolescent literacy development. 

Typing the whole topic into a search box will not be effective. While Google tends to use more natural language searching, databases are much more specific. If you are doing a keyword search with the whole topic written in, the database will look for every single word in that phrase and pull up anything that has the word "effect" in it. Thus, you see many results that are not helpful. 

To have a more successful search, you will want to keep in mind three things. 

The first thing to keep in mind is to brainstorm as many synonyms as possible. If I were looking at my topic and trying to think of ways to describe adolescents, I might come up with the following words: adolescent, teen, young adult, youth 

A keyword search in a database will only pull up the words that you are searching. By generating multiple words to describe the same thing, you can try different search phrases to get the best results. If adolescent is not bringing up many results, switch it out with young adult and run the search again. 

The second thing to keep in mind is to use more concise language. A better search query for the topic listed above might be "effect and reading and toddlers and literacy". When I search that in a database, my results will only pull up sources that have the words effect, reading, toddlers, and literacy in them. 

The third thing to keep in mind is to use boolean operators. The three main operators are and, or, not. Each serves a purpose in a search query. Read more about the different types of Boolean Operators in the box labeled "Boolean Operators" below. 

Boolean operators are words or symbols that are used in conjunction with words to refine searches. 

Here are six helpful ones to use: 

1. AND - narrows 
   1. Ex: ADHD and boys (this narrows down our results to only include ADHD and boys) 
2. NOT - excludes
   1. Ex: ADHD not boys (this narrows down our results to include things about ADHD excluding those that mention boys) 
3. OR - expands
   1. Ex: boys or males or guy (this expands our our search to search for multiple possible terms) 
4. * - expands 
   1. Ex: rac*  (using the asterisk in replace of an ending on a word will expand your search to include results that have any ending on the base word.)
5. " " - exact phrase
   1. Ex: "executive functioning" (this pulls up results that are stated in the item exactly as written) 
6. ( ) - confine
   1. Ex: (ADHD or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder) AND (boys or guys or males)     - (this will instruct the database or search engine on what parts go together in your search phrase

Search & Discover provides sweeping access to books, ebooks, articles, movies, music, and more through a user-driven platform supporting your research interests. You can use Search & Discover without signing in. However, to access e-books, you will need to sign in when prompted.

There are two main ways to use Search & Discover.

Everything allows you to search simultaneously for books, ebooks, articles, movies, music, and more. You may use keywords, titles, authors, or phrases. Refine your results using the choices on the left. For example, if you want to discover the newest results then select Sort by. Explore Resource Type, also on the left, to get a sense of the various materials available to you.

Library Catalog is commonly used to search the physical collections of the James M. Milne Library, including ebooks, by an author’s name or a book’s title. You may also use keywords to search the library catalog, which contains the table of contents for many records. Subject headings are included in keyword searching and are assigned to all library catalog holdings.

While Everything and Library Catalog are two of the main searching functions in Search & Discover, there are others available for use. Child Collection, Course Reserves, EMC Media, NY State Collection, Reference, Special Collections (SCC), SUNY Catalog, and Young Adult (YA) are all options to choose from. These collections can be searched exclusively by selecting them in the top menu. For example, selecting Child Collection will include results only from that collection. 

***You can also check out items at Hartwick College with your SUNY Oneonta ID card.***

There are many databases that will be helpful for finding resources for your text sets. To access a list of databases, go to the library homepage and click on the link for Databases listed in the left hand side navigation menu. You can then use the drop down subject menu located in the top left to browse databases by subject. Or you can use the alphabetical listing to access specific databases. 

Below you will find a list of databases that will be helpful for finding materials for your text set. The list is a general guide to get you started. It is not exhaustive. 

There are many places to locate Children's Books Online. Many publishers will have channels on YouTube where authors or other people read a story. Many times they share the pictures on the screen as well. Below you will find a list of places to find picture books online. Some are video formatted (where you watch someone read the story), while others are scanned copies of the books that you can then flip through to see each page without audio narration. This list is not meant to be exhaustive, but to be a place to get you started finding popular and historical titles. 

Librarians are available to help in several ways: 

• Call the Reference Desk at 607-436-2722
• E-mail a question to a librarian and receive a response 
• Request a Research Consultation to meet individually (and virtually) with a librarian
• Chat with a Librarian using the Chat Box below

While the library has a great selection of resources, sometimes you may need to venture outside the library's virtual collection depending on your topic. Below you will find a list of websites that may prove useful for your text set.