• Choose some keywords that best describe your essay topic.
• Use a dictionary to lookup the meaning of the keywords. Try using a dictionary that relates to the specific subject area of the essay.
• Use a thesaurus to find synonyms to the keywords, which can be used to expend your search strategy.

• Important: Encyclopedias can be used as a secondary source in writing an essay, but not as a primary source.

• Choose the appropriate database.
• Use the keywords that were formulated to search in the appropriate index.
• Narrow or broaden your search using different combination of keywords.
• Copy the citations to articles, which look relevant to your essay topic.
  
• Check the NEOS catalog (narrow to Taylor) to see if a periodical issue is held at Schalm Memorial Library. If the issue is held at Schalm Memorial Library, search the periodical stacks, which is arranged in alphabetical order.
  
• If a periodical issue is not held at Schalm Memorial Library, check the NEOS Catalogue for holdings in another NEOS library. If any of the NEOS libraries have the specific issue you require, fill the green Article Request Form and submit it at the Circulation Desk.
• Note: It usually takes about 3 to 4 days for an article to arrive from any NEOS library. If time is a factor, go directly to the owning library.
• Note: You do not have to find articles that exactly support your essay thesis statement. You can use articles that do not support your essay thesis statement as an opposite view that you can argue against in your essay.

• Use the keywords that were formulated to search the NEOS catalogue.
• Narrow or broaden your search using different combination of keywords.
• When the desired book is found in the NEOS catalogue, check the screen to see if the book belongs to Taylor.
• Check if the status is “available”.
• Copy the complete call number from the screen.
• Search for the book on the shelves. If you cannot locate the book on the shelves, place a request on the book.
• If the status on the book in the NEOS catalogue shows a due date or the location of other NEOS libraries, place a request on the book.
• Note: Books from other NEOS libraries take 2 to 3 days to arrive at Schalm Memorial Library. You will be notified when the book arrives.
• Note: You do not have to find books that exactly support your essay thesis statement. You can use books that do not support your essay thesis statement as an opposite view that you can argue against in your essay.

• Use subject headings of your search results that are relevant to your essay topic as keywords to do further searching.
• Use the articles or books that you have found to find more articles and books. Look at the references cited by an author of an article or a book that you have found. Use those references to find other articles or books that will support your essay topic.
• Use controlled vocabulary such as the Library of Congress (LC) subject headings.
• Use truncation. Type part of a word followed by a question mark (?) or an asterisk (*). For example, comput* will bring up information that contains the words computers, computing, computer.
• Use Boolean searching. When 2 or more terms are used in a search use AND, OR, NOT.
  · AND – when both words are relevant.
  · OR – when either word is relevant.
  · NOT – when one word is not relevant.

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