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Library Research Skills Tutorial
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Concordia.ca   /   Library   /   Research skills tutorial   /   Search basics
Search basics

Search basics

Discover the best search techniques for finding books and articles, as well as what to do if a search produces too few or too many results.

What's covered in this section

  • What do I need to know before I start searching?
  • How do I identify the main ideas in my research question?
  • How do I identify my search terms?
  • How do I combine my search terms?
  • What if I can't find anything on my topic?
  • Summary

Activities in this section

  • Select the words that best identify the topic's main ideas
  • Identify the search statement that is most likely to provide the best results

Videos in this section

  • Picking your topic IS research (NCSU Libraries) [3:10 minutes]
Updated: July 13, 2020
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