6.3: Create and implement a complex search strategy

Table of Contents

1. Designing a complex search strategy
2. Reviewing search terms in the light of results - broader/narrower/related terms
   1. Changing search terms
3. Collection and presentation of results

Reviewing search terms in the light of results - broader/narrower/related terms

It is important to keep reviewing your search strategy and, in particular your search statement, as the search is underway. Ask yourself: Am I finding too much or too little information?

• Is the search generating a number of sites which are unconnected, or only loosely related, to the topic?
• Is there a slant to the topic which my search does not appear to be including?

In order to refine your search, you must be able to use terms which are broader or narrower than or related to your original search term. The words broader, narrower and related are self-explanatory. A good example which clearly illustrates the concept is:

initial search term - Great Britain

broader term - United Kingdom (The United Kingdom includes Great Britain)

narrower terms - England, Scotland, Wales (Great Britain includes these three nations)

related term - Northern Ireland (Northern Ireland is related to Great Britain in that GB and NI make up the United Kingdom)

1

Search term terriers Your initial search term is terriers. Think of examples of broader, narrower and related terms for this. There is no one right answer here. We thought of: Broader term - dogs Narrower term - any breed of terrier, eg: Cairn terriers Related term - hounds (because both terriers and hounds are hunting dogs).

At each stage you should review the search statement, considering if it is appropriate to change the search terms.

Let's have a look at Changing search terms ...