ENVD Honors Thesis

Research is Iterative

You won't get it done all at once.

Sometimes you need to do some research to figure out what to research.

Use multiple keywords, search tools, and search strategies

Use Google AND the Library

OneSearch and other databases are search tools and collections of information paid for by University Libraries. These search tools will find information that is not available on Google. They also have search features, filters, and sorting more advanced than what is provided by Google.

Brainstorm Lots of Keywords

You may need to brainstorm lots of terms and phrases related to your research. Include multiple aspects of your research question, synonyms and broader concepts.

• I.E. Line 3 Pipeline
  • oil pipelines
  • pipeline environment* impact, "oil spill" environment* impact, climate change
  • pipeline health impact, "oil spill" health impact
    • human health, wildlife health
  • drug trafficking
  • sex trafficking, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW)
  • Indigenous sovereignty, Indigenous treaty rights
    • Ojibwe rights
  • Indigenous activism, "water protectors," "Stop Line 3", "water is life," #noDAPL
  • job creation
  • tax revenue
  • energy production

Quotes and asterisks

Quotes will search a phrase instead of separate keywords.

• I.E. "environmental justice"

Asterisk is a wildcard, and it will search variations in word endings

• I.E. environment* searches 
  • environment
  • environments
  • environmental
  • environmentally
  • environmentalist
  • environmentalists
  • environmentalism

Word Meanings

Consider multiple words that mean the same thing or a similar concept

• I.E. car, automobile, motor vehicle

Consider words that mean multiple things 

• I.E. data logging / forest logging
• I.E. drug trafficking / sex trafficking

Consider spelling out acronyms, or searching for the phrase and the acronym

• AI OR "artificial intelligence"

AND OR NOT

AND indicates that both terms or phrases have to be in your search results

• pipeline AND "climate change"

OR indicates the either of your search terms could be in the results, and is good for synonyms or related terms

• pipeline AND ("sex trafficking" OR "Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women" OR MMIW)

NOT eliminates results with a certain term

• pipeline AND ("sex trafficking" OR "Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women" OR MMIW) NOT drug

Try Other Kinds of Searching

Keyword searching isn't your only option:

• Follow citations between sources - look at references and cited by
• Find other sources by an author
• Browse a specific publication or broad set of results