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JHP 3151: Comparative Genocide in the Twentieth Century: Troubleshooting: I'm Not Finding What I Want

1. Consider Your Search Strategy

Remember that research often involves searching multiple places using different combinations of keywords and advanced search techniques. In thinking of your search strategy, ask yourself the following:

  • Where have I already searched for results? Are there databases and places to search I am overlooking?
  • What keywords have I been searching? Are there synonyms or related concepts I can try to get better results?
  • Have I been too restrictive anywhere? Such as too may keywords at once or adding too many filters?

If you have already found a source that looks relevant, you can use it to find other sources by:

  • Seeing if there are other keywords or subject terms associated with the source that you haven't searched
  • If it's an article, searching the journal it is located in for other relevant articles
  • Looking at the article's references to see if there are any source it cites that might be useful
  • Using Google Scholar to see who has cited the source, if possible, which can help point to more relevant material

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Breanne Crumpton
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