Research Guides: Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good (Prof. Stone): Preparing to Search

Recommended Reference Sources

Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy This link opens in a new window
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Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy coverage includes Anglo-American, ethical and political, cross-cultural, interdisciplinary, continental and contemporary philosophy.
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy This link opens in a new window
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy is a reference work on philosophy maintained by Stanford University. Each encyclopedia entry is authored and updated by an expert or group of experts in their field.
Very Short Introductions This link opens in a new window
Very Short Introductions (VSI) offers concise introductions to a diverse range of subjects, written by experts in the field who combine facts, analysis, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make challenging topics highly readable.

Think before searching!

One of the simplest time-saving skills when it comes to library research is to spend a little time thinking before you start typing words into search bars.

Get in the habit of asking yourself:

What do I want to know/learn? What question am I trying to answer?
What kind of information do I need in order to know/learn/answer [XYZ]?
What type of source(s) are likely to contain that type of information?

What Type of Source is Best?

Sometimes you might be looking for basic factual information, definitions of unfamiliar terms, or background information about an unfamiliar topic. In those situations, your needs will be best met by using reference sources like encyclopedias, dictionaries, and introductory-level books. See the box to the left for some recommendations.

Other times you might be looking for more in-depth information or more complex arguments or analysis of a topic. In those situations, your needs will be best met by using subject-specific books, articles, reports, or even documentary films.

Choosing Keywords and Constructing Search Strings

When we search in our everyday lives, using search engines like Google, many people simply type in their questions using natural language. "Hey Google, what's the state capital of Nebraska?" or "How tall is the Empire State Building" or "What's the best coffee shop near me?"

But when we want to do precision searching in library systems like catalogs and databases, natural language searching usually doesn't work, or it might work, but doesn't yield the best results. As researchers, we have to do a little bit of work to translate our questions into simple instructions for the computer systems to follow. It might feel hard at first, but with a little bit of practice you will get the hang of it! (And if you need help, you can always ask a librarian.)

Step 1: Distill your question into just a few words that represent the main concept(s) - These are your primary keywords

Step 2: Expand upon your primary keywords by identifying synonyms, related words, broader terms, and/or narrower terms - These are your alternate keywords

Step 3: Use special connectors to combine your primary and alternate keywords into a search string

The videos below will help you learn how to identify keywords, develop alternate keywords, and combine your keywords into a search string.

The video above was created by librarians at the University of Alberta, Augustana Campus Library.

The video above was created by librarians at McMaster University Library.