FAQs

A search strategy is a combination of key words from your topic that are held together with connecting terms called Boolean operators--AND, OR, & NOT. (Yes, they do need to be in all caps.)

Here are a few example of search strategy:

• "power dynamics" AND pedagogy
• "power dynamics" AND (pedagogy OR instruction OR teaching)

First, pick out the keywords for your topic and connect them with 'AND.' This will limit your search to sources that address all the key aspects of your topic.

• "power dynamics" AND policy
• "power dynamics" AND pedagogy AND "united states"
• "power dynamics" AND classroom AND kindergarten

Synonyms for your keywords can be connected with 'OR.' This will expand your search to sources that use either equivalent term.

• pedagogy OR instruction OR teaching
• policy OR protocol OR guideline
• "United States" OR American OR USA

When you want two or more words to hold together as an exact phrase, enclose the words in quotation marks.

You can use them together to fine-tune your search and find exactly what you need.

• "power dynamics" AND (policy OR protocol OR guideline)
• "power dynamics" AND (pedagogy OR instruction OR teaching) AND ("united states" OR American OR USA)
• "power dynamics" AND classroom AND (preschool OR pre-k)