Rotterdam UAS Literature Research Training

Rotterdam UAS Literature Research Training

Introduction


Bron: E. Langhorst, Hogeschool Rotterdam

There are over a billion websites and every year nearly a million books are published. But where exactly can you find the information you need? In this training course you will learn how to find reliable information relevant to your studies in a smart and efficient way.

Train your information literacy skills

The skills you need to search for, find, assess, and process information are called information literacy skills. In higher education information literacy skills are one of the competencies you need to develop as a student. They are an important part of the research skills. This training course focuses on improving your information literacy skills. The training course is intended for university of applied science students and no specific prior knowledge is required.​

You will learn:

  • What type of information sources there are.
  • How to formulate a good research question.
  • How to formulate and use the right search terms.
  • How to use relevant information sources.
  • How to assess the quality of information. 
  • How to correctly refer to the information you have found when making an assignment. 

 

How it works:

The training consists of 5 modules. Each module contains explanations, quizzes, and occasionally short videos. You can go through the modules from start to finish or do them independently. Click on the 'Next' button at the bottom right of this screen to start.

Edubadges:

At the end of this training course you can request an edubadge test to see whether you have understood everything. If you pass the test, you can request a digital badge, an edubadge.

Before you get started

Before you start your literature research, you need to carefully consider two things:

  1. What issue do you want to investigate? This is also referred to as the problem definition. To do this, you need to map out the various aspects that you want to investigate.
  2. What is the purpose of your research? This is also referred to as the 'objective'.

There are different possible objectives, for example: You want to gain insight into a particular problem. You want to (help) solve a problem through your research. You want to inform others.

Example:

Marco is a manager at a company that delivers laptops to people's homes. Many customers return their products, which generates a lot of waste. Nobody wants to buy the returned laptops, even though they are in perfect working order. This costs the company a lot of money (problem). That is the problem definition.

Marco asks you, as a student at a university of applied sciences, to design an effective marketing strategy that will encourage customers to buy the remaining laptops, generating more revenue for the company and producing less waste (purpose). Designing this effective marketing strategy is referred to as the objective.

The research question is a tool that aids you in gaining insight into the problem that needs to be researched and helps you achieve your objective. This is discussed in more detail in the Orientation chapter.

1. Orientation

What are you looking for?Beeld: Evalien Langhorst, Hogeschool Rotterdam

A good start is half the work. This also applies when you are looking for literature for your study assignment, research or dissertation.

This section covers the following:

    1.1 The orientational phase

    1.2 The exploratory search phase

    1.3 Defining your research topic

    1.4 Formulating your main research question

    1.5 Formulating your sub-questions

    1.6 Collecting search terms

 

 

1.1 The orientational phase

Once you have chosen a subject, you should start by exploring it before you start searching for information, especially if the topic is new to you. This will give you a better understanding of your topic. During your orientation you will often find references to important literature regarding your topic.

Mind map
Making a mind map can be a good starting point for your orientation. You can also gain new insights by simply talking about your topic with fellow students, lecturers or internship supervisors.

Tips for creating a mind map:Beeld Hogeschool Rotterdam, Evalien Langhorst

  • Making a mind map on paper helps to give free reign to your creativity, more so than when you create a mind map digitally.
  • Place the topic in the centre of your sheet.
  • Start with general associations and then work these out in more detail with sub-topics.
  • Write down everything that comes to mind. Even something that doesn't seem useful now may prove to be very valuable later. By including all of this in a mind map, you put a subject into perspective. This gives you an overview of all the topics you may come across.
  • Connect related subjects with lines.
  • Always use one word per connecting line, not whole sentences.

Example: obesity among adolescents

Imagine you have been assigned a task to conduct research into obesity among adolescents.

What could you investigate?

What are the angles or aspects that make up the topic?

Below is an an example of a mind map. The topic is shown in the red circle. The light red ovals show the topics that are broadly related to the topic. The light red diamonds show the subtopics that arise from these topics. You can continue to develop the mind map from there with everything that comes to mind about the topic.

The mind map in this example is far from complete. Much more could be added. Consider, for example:

Weight loss, diets, fat shaming, depression, environmental factors, socio-economic factors, income, influencers, biological factors, sleep patterns, heredity, hormones, cortisol, joint problems, chronic diseases, medication, exercise, everyday physical activity, the Nutriction Centre, the Department of Health . . . etc.

1.2 Exploratory search phase

By creating a mind map, you have gained a better understanding of the topic. You will now conduct a broad search for information to learn even more. What do experts say about your topic? What trends are applicable? What has been written about it in the literature? It may be helpful to formulate a preliminary main research question. Such a question will give more direction to your search process and can help you to make choices.

Use these exploratory searches to collect your search terms by writing down the terms you have encountered in the various sources.

Tip:

  • The topics you have put into your mind map can also be used as search terms!


The following sources may be useful during your orientation phase:


The internetBeeld: E. Langhorst, Hogeschool Rotterdam
Of course you are familiar with Google. However, there are other search engines you can use: such as Bing, Ecosia and DuckDuckGo. There are differences between search engines in terms of results and how your privacy is handled.

Wikipedia
Wikipedia often provides reliable information, but anyone can post or edit articles. Always check the information you find and use this source primarily for orientation. The list of sources for an article can also aid you further.

Subject specialist/lecturer/internship supervisor
Seek advice from people in your future field, such as your lecturer. Ask for names of leading professionals or titles of professional literature and then do your own research.

Professional literature
These are leading publications ain a particular field, such as manuals and trade journals. You can find these in the librarycatalogue. Are there important publications missing? Send us a purchase suggestion.

Magazines and newspapers ​
Newspapers and magazines provide insight into current topics and trends.

  • PressReader provides access to hundreds of newspapers and magazines from different countries.
  • Systematic reviews analyse and summarise relevant literature on a topic. In Science Direct you can, filter for 'review articles'.
  • Check Information Sources per Study Programme to see which online journals are available for your study programme.
  • Visit the library to leaf through trade journals that are relevant to your studies.


During the exploratory search phase, you will get a clearer picture of your topic and what information about it is available. You may have discovered that there is either too much or too little information available. The next part of the training will give you tips on how to further narrow down your topic.

1.3 Define your topic

Defining your topic is very important, because it gives direction to your research. It also prevents you from straying away from what you actually want to research while searching for information.

Defining your topic

  • What are the boundaries of your topic, what will you and what won't you explore further?
  • Who are the important parties involved, target group(s) or stakeholders within your research topic?
  • In which places is your topic relevant?
  • Is there a specific (time) period that is relevant to your research topic?
  • In which languages has your topic been written about?
  • What does your teacher think about the topic?

Once you have sufficiently defined your topic, you can formulate a main research question. In the next section, you will learn how to formulate good main and sub-research questions.

Defining your topic: example

In this example, we show you how to define a research topic:

  • Subject (what, where and when):

Obesity in the Netherlands in the 21st century.

  • This research topic is still too broad. Choose a subtopic and make the time period more specific:

The influence of food availability on obesity over the past 10 years.

  • It can be even more specific in terms of topic and location:

The influence of food availability in Dutch school canteens on obesity over the past 10 years.

  • A final specification of the research topic ultimately yields the following question:

What is the influence of food availability in Dutch school canteens on obesity among university of applied sciences students over the past 10 years?

 

1.4 Formulate your main research question

Do you have a clear picture of your topic? The you can formulate a main research question. Your main research question forms your starting point. This question describes exactly what you want to know and gives direction to your search process. It is therefore important to formulate this question carefully.

  • Your main research question must be straightforward, using clear terms.Beeld: Evalien Langhorst, Hogeschool Rotterdam
  • Your main research question must be specific in order to enable a targeted search.
  • Your main research question must be relevant in order to contribute to your research.
  • Your main research question must be formulated in an open manner, i.e. it must not be question that can only be answered with "yes" or "no".
  • Your main research question must be realistic; you must be able to find the answer within an acceptable time frame and with the resources available to you. At the same time, the question must also be 'worthy of research'; the answer must add something to your field of research.
  • Your main research question does not have to be perfect right away; you can always adjust it slightly during your research.

Tips:

  • If you start a question with 'what', 'how' or 'which' you automatically have an open question. It is best not to start the question with 'why', why-questions are often not specific enough.
  • Enter your main question in the Search strategy form for deskresearch. This allows you to keep track of what you are looking for and what you have already found.

Main research question: example

Below are two examples of research questions:

"Can obesity be prevented by offering healthy food in canteens?"

This is not a good research question, because:

  • It is a closed question; the question can be answered with 'yes' or 'no'.
  • It is not specific; the topic, time period or area of research are not clearly indicated (What? When? Where?)
  • It is not clear; the question can be interpreted in several ways.
  • It is not realistic; the question is too general and therefore difficult to research and answer.

"What is the influence of the food on offer in school canteens on obesity among Dutch university of applied sciences students over the past years?"

This is a better research question, because it is open, specific and clearly defined.

 

1.5 Formulate sub-questions

What information do you need to answer your main research question?
The main research question cannot be answered in one go. Beeld: Evalien Langhorst, Hogeschool RotterdamThat is why you formulate a number of sub-questions based on your main research question. Sub-questions allow you to divide your complex main research question into smaller subjects. Each sub-question contributes to answering your main research question. Once you have answered all the sub-questions, it should be possible to answer your main research question as well.

  • Your sub-questions have to meet the same requirements as the main research question.
  • Your sub-questions are derived from your main research question - sub-questions help to answer your main research question.
  • Sub-questions are less complex, but more specific than the main research question.
  • How many sub-questions you need depends on the complexity of your research is.
  • Place sub-questions in a logical order; this helps to structure and formulate your research. They create clarity for you as a researcher, but also for the reader who will read your research report later.
  • A sub-question is not a question for a definition.

Tip:

Sub-questions: example

Below are a number of examples of sub-questions:

"What is the definition of obesity?"

This is not a good sub-question, because sub-questions are not about formulating definitions. The sub-question must always be necessary to answer your main research question.

"Does food supply have an effect on obesity?"

This is not a good sub-question, because it is a closed question. Sub-questions must be formulated in an open manner, so they cannot be answered with a simple 'yes' or 'no'.

"What measures are being taken in school canteens to combat obesity among students?"

"What influences students' food choices?"

These are good sub-questions, because they are less complex than the main research question, but more specific and help to answer the main research question.

1.6 Collect search terms

Bron: HR, E, Langhorst

You are now ready to start collecting search terms. Extract the most important topics from your sub-questions and use them as search terms. Collecting the right concepts is very important. If you use the right search terms, your search will yield much better results.

Tip: Use the Search strategy form for deskresearch to keep track of the search terms you have already collected.


Do you find it difficult to come up with good search terms? Then use the following tips:

  • If you already noted down search terms for your mind map and sources during your orientational phase, than you can also use these.
  • You can use (online) dictionaries to translate search terms.
  • You can consult an online thesaurus, but these are often not suitable for subject specific discourse.
  • You can find good search terms by scanning relevant articles for useful concepts.  
  • You can use Copilot to collect search terms in any language.

Search terms: example

Main research question:

"What is the influence of the food on offer in school canteens on obesity among Dutch university of applied sciences students over te past 10 years?"

Sub-questions:

"What measures are being taken in school canteens to combat obesity among students?"

"What influences the food choices of university of applied sciences students?"

"What changes have taken place in the food on offer in school canteens over the past 10 years?"

You can derive the following search terms from the main and sub-questions above. In section 3 you can read how to combine search terms in a clever way.

Subject Search term
Obesity overweight, obese, healthy weight
Canteens (university of applied sciences)

school canteen, higher education,

students, adolescents, schools
Measures

regulations, prevention, guidelines,

nudging, influences, improve,

dietary, eating, behaviour,

interventions, healthy, healthier,

unhealthy, food choices, food supply,

candy, fast food, vending machines,

junk food, fruit, low-calorie foods

 

 

Test your knowledge - Orientation

Check: this is what you have learned!

 

  • You have learned how and why you need to orientate yourself on your topic.  
  • You have learned how and why you need to define a topic.
  • You have learned what you need to take into account when formulating main- and sub- research questions.
  • You have learned how and why you need to collect different search terms.

2. Choosing Sources

Beeld: Evalien Langhorst, Hogeschool RotterdamYou can find a wealth of information on the internet and in sources accessible from the library, but how do you find a source that is relevant to you?


Where you search largely determines what you find. Research data on young people with obesity can be found in a different place than data on the market for dietary supplements. In order to answer your (research) question, you need to search for information in different types of sources.

Types of information

It is important that the information source you choose matches your information needs. To do this, you need to be able to distinguish between different types of information, such as:

  • News
  • Theory
  • Legislation
  • Market reports
  • Company information
  • Information about trends
  • Application of a theory
  • Statistical information
  • Scientific information

Each type of information has its own source. This section explains where you can find the different types of information.

More and more information can be found on the internet, but:

  • The quality of the information is not always easy to determine.  
  • You often cannot access the information because it is hidden behind a paywall.

Start with sources provided by the library:

  • The library's sources are selected based on quality, offer structured information and are purchased specifically for Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences and your study programme. You can use them free of charge.
  • You can start at home: you can consult the library sources on your own laptop. If you want to access one of the sources, you will be asked to log in with your RUAS account.
  • You can access the library sources from home even more easily by installing the Library Access tool in your browser.

On the library website you will find:

This section covers the following topics:

2.1 START

2.2 Databases

2.3 Digital repositories

2.4 Newspapers and magazines

2.5 Trend and market reports

2.6 Books and e-books

2.7 Other types of information

2.8 Search engines

2.9 Google scholar

2.10 Open educational sources

2.1 START

START stands for STudy And Research Tool and is the library's search engine. You can use this search engine to find articles, journals, e-books and books.

Digital collection

With START, you can search through many databases at once, although there are some exceptions. You can find e-books, articles from (academic) journals and literature references, but no market reports etc.

If you get a lot of search results or if you want to refine your search, you can use the filter options on the left. These allow you, for example, to filter through material type or publication year. With advanced search, you can see which databases are being searched on the right.

Sometimes you may find a book or article that you cannot access through the library. Would you still like to read such a book or article? Then you can request it via the Interlibrary Loan Service (ILL). If you tick "full text" (under "Show only"), you will only see results that you can access from the library.

Tips!

  • START can be used on different devices both inside and outside RUAS.
  • Your search results can be stored in lists, which you can share with others.
  • With START you can search multiple databases at once, but not all of them. Open other databases via the overview under 'Information sources'.
  • Have you found an article or book to which you do not have access? In many cases you can request it for a fee from another university of applied sciences or university through Inter Library Loan (ILL). This can easily be done via the "Request external item" button in START or via the online form. For more information and current costs check the library website.

Physical collection

You can also use START to search for printed books in the library. You can use the filters under "Material type" and select the filter option "Printed book" to indicate that you are looking for printed books. In the filter options you can also select a location. You will then immediately see which books are available at that location and whether they are on loan. If you do not select a location you will see whether the books is available at any of the locations.

Are you looking for a book that the library does not have? Then you can request it via the Interlibrary Loan Service (ILL).

Advanced search page

The advanced search page in START allows you to perform a targeted search, for example by keyword, author or (a word from) the title. You can also combine these terms.

2.2 Databases

Why would you search in a database when you have Google?

When you search in a database you have more and better search options, which increases the relevance of your search result. Moreover, a search engine does not contain any information itself, but searches through various sources. In addition, there are limitations in how and where searches can be performed.

What is a database?

A database is a digital collection of information. In a database you will find high quality information that is searchable and presented in a structured manner. The library of the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences has licenses with publishers for access to various databases. These can also be consulted from home

The library has licenses for both multidisciplinary databases and subject-specific databases. Go to "Information sources per study programme" at rotterdamuas.com/library for an overview of relevant databases for your study programme.

 

2.3 Digital repositories

Many (educational) institutions make (academic) information available via digital repositories:

  • HBO Kennisbank - Provides access to many graduation products (theses) by students from universities of applied sciences. You can also find publications by lecturers.
  • Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences projects and publications - Projects and publications by lecturers and professors at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences.
  • OpenAIRE - Dutch database for ongoing and completed academic research from all Dutch universities, KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and NWO (Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research).

 

2.4 Newspapers and magazines


Beeld: Evalien Langhorst, Hogeschool Rotterdam

Through the library website you have access to a large number of national and international newspapers and magazines via.

  • Nexis Uni - Here you can consult Dutch newspapers and magazines.
  • PressReader - From here you have access to newspapers and magazines from various countries.

Printed newspapers and magazines are also available at various locations for reading on site.

See Information Sources per Study Programme at rotterdamuas.com/library for an overview of relevant magazines for your study programme. 

2.5 Trend and market reports

Market reports provued information about a specific market and thus offer insight into the size of the market, it's competitive position, trends and developments, consumer needs, and opportunities and threats.

Trend reports provide insight into the latest and most important trends, developments and innovations at mega-, macro and sub levels based on market analyses, future forecasts, consumer needs, competitor analyses, impact analyses, recommendations and market insights.

  • Stylus and Trendwatching - Here you will find trend reports that provide insights into new (global) trends and innovations in areas such as lifestyle, consumer trends and product development.
  • Euromonitor Passport - Here you will find statistical information and detailed market reports on 27 industries, complemented by demographic, macroeconomic and socio-economic data and in-depth analyses of consumer behaviour and the economy in 210 countries.
  • Company.info - Here you will find trend and market reports focused on the Netherlands. To access these, click on 'More' in the database and select market reports.
  • EMIS Next - Here you will fin company information and market reports focused on companies and emerging markets.
  • Marketline - Here you will find reports and statistics on companies, countries, and markets.
  • Statline (database of Statistics Netherlands) - Here you will find statistical data about the Netherlands that you can use to create your own graphs and tables.
  • Statista - Here you will find global statistics, forecasts, reports and infographics on a wide range of topics.

 

2.6 Books and e-books

  • Books: Use START to search for printed books in the library. You can use the filters under 'Material type' and the filter option 'Printed book' to indicate that you are looking for printed books. You can also select a location in the filter options. You will then immediately see which books are available at that location and whether they are on loan. If you have not selected a location, you will see whether the books is available at any of the locations.
  • E-books: Many books are also available as e-book. Availability and accessibility depend on the publisher. E-books are also easily findable via START by selecting the filter option 'eBook' in the filters under 'Material type'.

     

2.7 Other types of information

Looking for statistics, case law, or business information? Go to Information sources at rotterdamuas.com/library and use the filters to narrow down the overview to a specific theme or type of information.  Beeld: Illustratie Grafiek

In addition, for your study programme, under Information sources per study programme at rotterdamuas.com/library, you will find an overview of databases, websites, etc. that may be relevant to you.

 

2.8 Search engines

The internet offers a huge amount of information worldwide. Search engines enable you to find information in various ways.

A search engine is not a database. A search engine is a website where you can search for information and information on other websites, while a database is a digital collection of articles, data and other types of information. If you want to know more about the differences between search engines and databases, then watch this video.

There are many search engines, of which Google, Yahoo, Bing,  DuckDuckGo (privacy-friendly search engines) and Ecosia (sustainable search engine). Each search engine has its own way of searching, which is why you will see differences in the search results. It is therefore wise to use a different search engine from time to time.

PLEASE NOTE: Virtually anyone can publish information on the internet without any oversight from an editorial team. You will therefore need to assess the reliability of internet sources yourself.

See Chapter 4 for an overview of assessment criteria.

2.9 Google Scholar

Google Scholar is a search engine for academic articles, among other things. It looks similar to Google, but Google Scholar is mainly limited to searching for academic literature.

Search results
Google Scholar ranks search results by relevance. Google Scholar determines this relevance by searching through the full text of each article. It takes into account the author, the publication in which the article is published, and how often the article has been cited in academic literature.

Access
Not all publications found via Google Scholar can be accessed. Sometimes articles are locked behind a paywall or there is only a description of the content available. If you log in to the RUAS environment and then start Google Scholar, you will be able to view more publications. If the article is available in one of the library's databases, you will see the link Find@Hogeschool Rotterdam on the right side of your results list. Click this link to go directly to the article.

Tips:

  • Google Scholar provides a wealth of information, but it cannot be used to find all types of information. Statistics, company data and images can often only be found through specific websites or in specific databases.
  • Searching directly in a database often yields more relevant results. So don't limit yourself to Google Scholar.
  • Each search result in Google Scholar contains useful links: Cited by, Related articles, et cetera. Use these to find more relevant articles.
  • Google Scholar allows you to copy or export the bibliographic reference of an article. However, these references may contain errors. Always check the source reference yourself.

 

2.10 Open Educational Resources

Open Educational Resources (OER) are freely accessible digital materials that are available for reuse in education.

If you are looking for information for your (graduation) assignment, you will probably benefit from searching for:

  • Open Access Publications: These are online publications, both journals and books, to which there are no financial, legal or technical barriers to access and whose content can be read, downloaded, shared and printed by anyone.
  • Open Data: This is research data that is made openly available to researchers to enable them to build upon previous research.
  • Weblectures: These are video recordings of instructions, workshops or lectures. These recordings may be supplemented with presentations, websites or publications.
  • Open Courseware: These are complete courses consisting of a compiled set of open educational resources that may be reused under certain conditions via a licence.
  • Open Textbooks: These are free online textbooks with an open licence that allows users to modify the content in their own copy. Open textbooks often contain links to other educational materials, have embedded videos and refer to interactive elements such as simulations and animations.

You can search for Open Educational Resources via this link.

Open Education infographic

 

 

 

 

Test your knowledge : Choosing sources

Check: this is what you have learned!

 

  • You have learned about different available information sources.
  • You have learned about different types of information.
  • You have learned what the difference between search engines and databases is.
  • You have learned where to find different kinds of information sources.

3. Search methods and techniques

Knowing where to search is not enough. Because even then you will still be faced with a mountain of useless information. In this section, you will discover various ways to search more effectively.

This section covers the following:

3.1 Search methods

3.2 Search techniques

3.3 Advanced search

3.4 Keyword list / Thesaurus

3.5 How to get more/fewer search results

3.6 Ten tips to Google smarter

3.1 Search methods

What is a search method ?
A search method ensures that you can find the information you need to answer your research question in an efficient and effective manner. The best search method to use depends on the subject of your research and the desired outcome.

In this section, we explain various search methods so that you know which search method or combination of search methods to use.

Pearl growing

Pearl growing can be used to collect more search terms. Perform a search and see if there are any other useful search terms in the search results. Then continue searching with the newly found terms.

Pearl growing example

For example, you start by searching for obesity in START and see if the results contain good, useful terms or keywords. In the image below you can see all kinds of terms under 'subjects' that you can use to continue your search.

Snowball method

Many publications include a list of references (or bibliography) at the back. This provides an overview of the literature used by the author. You can use this list to find more related and interesting sources. A disadvantage of this method is that it may not yield the most recent information. The snowball method takes you back in time.

Citation method

The citation method works in exactly the opposite way. When you find a relevant article, you look at which other sources refer to this article. This allows you to find more recent literature on the topic. The citation method allows you to search forward in time.

Example of the citation method

In the example bellow you will see 'Cited by' in a Google Scholar search. If you click on this you will find (more recent) articles by authors who have used the article.

Building blocks method

With the building blocks method, you divide your search query into different topics. You collect search terms for each topic in your query. Combine search terms from all topics into a single search query (search string).

How best to combine search terms will be explained in the next section.

Example of the building blocks method

You have collected the search terms below because you are looking for literature on 'measures taken by school canteens to combat obesity'. If you only search for obesity, you are likely to get a lot of search results, most of which will not be relevant. If you add search terms for the other topics, your search will be more specific. For example: obesity policy school canteens. You will get fewer, but more relevant results. You can improve this even further by combining your search terms with Boolean operators.

Topics Search terms
Obesity overweight, obesity, healthy weight
Canteens (universities of applied sciences)

school canteens, canteens,

schools, caterers,

university of applied sciences,

students
Measures

measures, prevention, policy,

guidelines, food choices,

food supply

 

(overweight OR obesity) AND ("school canteens" OR canteens OR schools) AND (measures OR prevention OR policy OR guidelines)

With the above search string, one of the words from each topic must appear in the search results. So you could find an article with the words: obesity + canteens + prevention. Build up a comprehensive search string by continuously testing which search terms work. You do this by continuously adding or removing words. Continue to do this until you have the right search results.

3.2 Search techniques

It is not enough to randomly type in all possible search terms. To find specific and targeted information about your subject, you need to combine search terms. There are various techniques for doing this:

  • Boolean operators
  • Truncation
  • Phrase search

Boolean operators

With the Boolean operators AND, OR and NOT, you can combine search terms, search for multiple terms at once or exclude certain terms.

AND

  • The AND operator allows you to combine search terms. If you use AND between two search terms, the database will only show results that contain both words.
  • The search result will be limited, smaller than when searching for a single word.
  • Example: you are looking for information about the relationship between obesity and food in canteens: obesity AND canteen AND food

OR

  • The OR operator ensures that you find results that contain one word or the other, or both. Useful for synonyms, abbreviations and related terms. Please note: Search terms combined with OR must always be placed in brackets.
  • The search result is enlarged and expanded compared to searching for a single word.
  • Example: in addition to canteens, you also want to search for school canteens: (canteens OR "school canteens")

NOT

  • The NOT operator allows you to exclude results.
  • The search results will be reduced, but be aware that you may also miss relevant information.
  • Example: you want information about canteens in schools, but not about canteens in primary schools: schools NOT "primary schools"

Please note!

  • Always type AND/OR/NOT in capital letters.
  • If you combine multiple Boolean operators, put the OR terms in brackets. Example: (canteens OR "school canteens") AND obesity. If you do not use brackets here, the AND command will only work for "school canteens" and obesity.
  • In Google you can use OR as described above, is AND enabled by default, and you must use a minus sign (-) for NOT.

Truncation

Truncation is replacing part of a word with a wildcard character. This means that you search for words beginning or ending with the word you typed. The manual for the database you are searching in will indicate which character is used for this. This is often an *. Other possible truncation characters are a ? or !.

  • If you place a truncation character after a word or part of a word, you will search for what you have typed and everything that can follow. Example: pig* returns: pig, pigs, etc.
  • If you place a truncation character before a word or part of a word, you will search for what you have typed and everything that can come before it. Example: *rose gives: rose, primrose, etc.
  • If you type a truncation character in a word, you will search for multiple spelling variations. Example: colo*r gives: color or colour.

Tips!

  • The trick is not to truncate too early or too late. If you are looking for information about 'pollution', type pollut* and not poll*.
  • Truncation does not work in Google.

Phrase search

If you are searching for an exact word combination or a term consisting of multiple words, place it in double quotation marks (""). If you do not use the double quotation marks, you will receive a lot of search results that are not relevant. Examples: "European directives", "Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences", "climate change".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.3 Advanced search

Most search engines and databases have an 'advanced search' option. For example, you can specify that you only want to search in the 'title' field, in the 'abstract' field, or only within a specific period. In advanced search you can also easily combine Boolean operators for your search query, as in the example bellow.

 

3.4 Keyword list / Thesaurus

Some databases use a keyword list, which is a list of terms and definitions from a specific field that you can search through. Other names you may encounter for this are: Thesaurus, MeSH terms, subjects or subject terms. Using these keywords will give you better search results in databases such as PubMed and EBSCO (ERIC).

PubMed:

1. Access PubMed via the Information sources on the library website.

2. Click on the MeSH Database.

 

3. Enter your search term and click Search.

4. A brief explanation of the MeSH term is provided below the term. Tick the box next to the search term if you wish to use it as a search term.

5. Entry terms that you see with a MeSH term in PubMed are synonyms or related terms they refer to the same MeSH term.

 

 

EBSCO (ERIC):

1. Go to EBSCO Research Databases via the Information sources page on the library website.

 

2. Click on Advanced search.

3. Select Subjects.

4. Select the desired database (ERIC).

5. Type in one of your search terms and tick the box Relevancy ranked.

6. Click on Search (the magnifying glass) and a list of related search terms generated by the database will appear.

7. Select which Boolean operator you want to use and the search terms you want to add to your search string, then click on Add to search.

8. You can use the search string generated by the database to search for results.

 

Broader, narrower, related

Terms in the keyword list also have 'relations'. Relations are other keywords that are related to the topic and are broader (broader terms), narrower (narrower terms) or related (related terms). For example, in English: For 'Sleep', 'subconscious' is a broader term, a narrower term is 'naps' and related to sleep is 'dreams'. This allows you to find new perspectives and keywords to search for information in a more specific or broader way.

 

3.5 How to get more / fewer search results

It is best to search in such a way that you get a maximum of a few hundred search results, without missing anything relevant. 

If you get too many search results this is what you can do:Beeld: E. Langhorst, Hogeschool Rotterdam

  • Use more or different search terms.
  • Refine your search results with the 'Advanced search' option.
  • Use the filter options.
  • Use the Boolean AND operator. The AND operator limits the search results.


If you get few or no search results this is what you can do:Beeld: E. Langhorst, Hogeschool Rotterdam

  • Use the Boolean OR operator. The OR operator expands the search results compared to searching for a single word.
  • Use fewer or different search terms.
  • Search more broadly.
  • Try other sources.

3.6 Ten tips to Google smarter

There are ways to find what you are  looking for faster in Google. Sometimes it works the same as in databases, but there are also search tips specific to Google. These 10 tips will help you Google smarter:

Tip 1. Phrase search

Useful when searching for compound search terms (e.g. "fast fashion"). This allows you to search only for the word combination, not for the individual words.

Tip 2. OR

The OR operator allows you to find and search results that contain one word or the other, or both. If you search for maple OR ahorn, you will find results that contain either maple or ahorn. This allows you to broaden your search and reduces the chance of missing information.


Tip 3. Exclude

If you put a minus sign (-) in front of a word in Google (cat - kitten), this word will not appear in your search results. In this example, the word kitten will not appear in your search results.


Tip 4. Range

With ... you search for all numbers in the number range. The example 2020...2025 elections therefore also show results for the 2023 Dutch general election.


Tip 5. Site:

Using site: will limit your search to that website. In the example above, you will find search results within the website decorrespondent.com about Rotterdam.


Tip 6. Filetype:

With filetype: you can search for specific filetypes. The example above shows only PDF documents on the subject of e-health in Google search results. With this command, you can also search for other filetypes such as jpg or docx.


Tip 7. Related:

Use related: to search for similar websites. The example above shows websites that, like ec.europa.eu/eurostat, contain statistical information about the EU.

 

Tip 8. @

Search social media by placing an @ before a word. The example above shows how to find posts on Instagram containing the words "school canteens healthy".

 

Tip 9. Combine

You can combine the above tips in your search query for even more specific search results.


Tip 10. Advanced search
You can also use 'advanced search' in Google. Google even has a very extensive menu where you can find even more tips to Google smarter. You can find the advanced menu under Settings.

Test your knowledge – Search methods and search technique

Check: this is what you have learned!

 

  • You have learned what to do if you find too much or too little information.
  • You have learned search methods can help you search more efficiently and effectively.
  • You have learned which search techniques you can use to find more specific and targeted information.

4. Evaluating

Once you have searched for and found information, it is important to critically assess whether the information is relevant, reliable, current, and complete.

In general, the sources you find through the library are reliable. However, information is always coloured by the intentions of its creators. Therefore always use different sources and compare them with each other.

This section covers the following:

4.1 Relevance

4.2 Reliability

4.3 Validity

4.4 Completeness

4.5 CRAAP

4.6 Assessing academic articles

4.1 Relevance

Information is relevant if it helps you answer part of your research question.


Ask yourself the following questions to asses whether the information is relevant:

  • Does the information answer part of your research question?
  • Does the information provide a general overview, or does it address specific topics?
  • Does the quality and level of the information meet your needs?
  • What is the context of the information? 

4.2 Reliability

Beeld: Evalien Langhorst, Hogeschool Rotterdam

Information is reliable if you can trust that it is accurate.

Ask yourself the following questions to assess whether information is reliable:

  • What is the source of the information? Is it a book, journal, database, website? What can you say about the reliability of that source? For websites, also pay attention to the domain name and the extension (.com=commercial, .org=organisation, .edu=educational institution et cetera)
  • Who is/are the author(s)? Are they experts? Is there an editorial team? Does the author work for an organisation, company or institution?
  • What is the purpose of the publication (to inform, persuade, entertain, promote, sell)? Is there a client or sponsor?

Tip: If in doubt, search the internet for information about the author, organisation or publisher.

4.3 Validity

Whether the information is valid, or up to date, depends on your research question and the purpose of the information.

Ask yourself the following questions to assess whether the information is valid or current:

  • When was the information published? 
  • Is the information still correct, or is it outdated?
  • Does the information correspond with other sources?

Please note! Some websites automatically update the date of a page. This does not necessarily mean that the information is up to date.

4.4 Completeness

Information is complete when as many perspectives as possible have been taken into account.

Ask yourself the following questions to assess whether the information is complete:

  • Are different perspectives highlighted?
  • Are sources references and/or is there a bibliography?
  • Are any relevant sources missing?
  • Is any relevant information missing?

4.5 CRAAP

A commonly used tool for assessing information is the CRAAP test. This allows you to assess sources for reliability and usability. To assess sources, you assign points based on five different criteria by answering questions about the source as you review it. These five criteria are: Currency (validity), Relevance, Authority, Accuracy and Purpose. The total score gives an indication of the quality of the information.

Please note: when assessing the information, take into account the purpose for which you need it!

4.5 Assessing academic articles

When using academic articles it is also important to critically assess whether the information is relevant, reliable, up to date, and complete.

Reading order

Do not begin by reading an academic article from start to finish. Follow the reading order below to get a quicker idea of its relevance to your research:

  1. Abstract (summary).
  2. Introduction.
  3. Methods.
  4. Results.
  5. Discussion/Conclusion

Ask yourself three questions when reading the article:

1. To what extent does the information in this article help you formulate an answer to your main and sub-research questions or problem statement?

2. Does the information in this article contribute to your theoretical framework? In other words, does it enrich the theory you have already found? Does the content of this article perhaps stimulate dialogue or discussion?

3. Do the authors use literature that might also be worth using for your own research?

Test your knowledge - Evaluating

Check: this is what you have learned!

 

  • You have learned that it is important to critically asses the relevance, reliability, validity and completeness of information.
  • You have learned what to look for when assessing the relevance of information.
  • You have learned what to look for when assessing the reliability of information.
  • You have learned what to look for when assessing the validity of information.

5. Processing and referencing

Bron: E. Langhorst, Hogeschool Rotterdam

When conducting research, for an article, essay, report or thesis, for example, you will need to use existing literature and other sources of information. You must reference these sources correctly. If you do not cite your sources properly, or if you cite them incorrectly, you are committing plagiarism. This has consequences for the approval of your work. In this section you will learn how to cite your sources correctly.

This section covers the following:

5.1 Why you need to cite your resources

5.2 What is plagiarism and how can you prevent it?

5.3 Quoting and paraphrasing - what is the difference?

5.4 Referencing styles

5.5 General rules

5.6 Referencing tools

5.1 Why you need to cite your sources

 

[Video: Citing sources, how, what, and why?]

5.2 What is plagiarism and how can you prevent it?

According to Van Dale, plagiarism is “the copying of pieces, thoughts or arguments from others and passing them off as your own work".”

If you take something from someone else's work without citing the source, Beeld: Evalien Langhorst, Hogeschool Rotterdamyou give the impression that it is your own creation. To make it clear where your information comes from, which ideas are your own and which belong to someone else, you add a source reference. It does not matter whether you are copying a text, printed or digital, an image, software, sound clip or a video. If the creator has made creative choices and the work has its own original character, it is automatically protected by copyright.

When should you cite a source?

In most cases, plagiarism by students is unintentional, but it can have dire consequences. You can prevent plagiarism by citing the source when you:

  • Quote someone else's words.
  • Use someone else's ideas, opinions or theories.
  • Use tables, statistics or graphs that contain data collected by someone else.
  • Use images, videos or audio clips created by someone else.

When do you not need to cite a source?

  • If something is a fact or common knowledge: "The Second World War lasted from 1940 to 1945 in the Netherlands".
  • If something is an idea that only exists in someone's head. Something must be perceptible to the senses to be protected by copyright.
  • You create something inspired by someone else's style. A style is not protected. You can paint in the style of Vincent van Gogh or make music inspired by Lady Gaga. However, it must be your own creation; copying or imitating something without permission is not allowed.

 

 

5.3 Quoting and paraphrasing - what is the difference?

If you include a piece of text or a theory into your own work, you do so by quoting or paraphrasing.

Quoting: literally copying a passage form a text or someone's words. You only do this when the literal words are essential to support your argument.

Paraphrasing: reproducing someone else's text in your own words. Make sure you formulate the message you want to convey entirely in your own words. Paraphrasing is preferable to quoting, because it allows you to incorporate your own understanding of the text. 

 

Whether you paraphrase or quote, you must refer to the source. You must refer to the original source both in your text and in the bibliography.

5.4 Referencing styles

A referencing style is a set of rules for how to cite a source reference. There are many different referencing styles, but at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, APA is the most commonly used . Other referencing styles are: IEEE, MLA, Harvard and Leidraad voor juridische auteurs (Guidelines for Legal Authors). Whichever referencing style you use, be consistent and stick to one style.

Which referencing style? ​

The referencing style you use depends on your field of study. If you are unsure which referencing style to use, ask your lecturer for advice, as they are familiar with the conventions that apply within your study programme.

Manuals​

Each referencing style has its own specific rules. You can find these rules in the manuals on the library website.

5.5 General rules

Regardless of which referencing style you use, there are a number of rules you must always take into account.

 

  • You must reference your sources in two places - in your text and in the bibliography:
    • In your text you should consistently refer to the source you have used. This ensures that it is clear when you have used external sources and which those are. If you have used a particular source in several places in your text, you should cite the source in all these places. What a reference looks like in the text differs depending on the referencing style. These are the differences you will encounter:
      • In-text citation styles: the source is placed in brackets in the running text. APA is an example of an in-text referencing style.
      • Numeric reference styles: ascending numbers in your text refer to the sources used. IEEE is an example of a numerical referencing style.
      • Footnotes: in some referencing styles, sources are listed in a footnote at the bottom of the page. In other styles (e.g. APA), you are not allowed to use footnotes for references. 
    • In your bibliography, you include the full reference details of all the sources you have used.
Bron: E. Langhorst, Hogeschool Rotterdam

Bron: E. Langhorst, Hogeschool Rotterdam

  • Different types of material, different rules:
    • How your source reference appears like in the bibliography differs depending on the type of material. So bear in mind that a source reference for a book may look different from one for a video, image, article, etc. The number of authors of a source can also make a difference in how your reference should look. You can read about these differences are in the manual for your referencing style.

5.6 Referencing tools

When you you are working on a research assignment or thesis, you collect a lot of information. To keep things organised and create automatic references, you can use reference managers.


There are free online tools that generate references, such as Scribr and Zotero. With more advanced programmes, such as EndNote and RefWorks, you can collect, store, share and organise literature references and PDF documents. This allows you to create your own bibliographic database with references. These programmes usually offer a plug-in that allows you to insert literature lists and text references in Word. Word also has its own built-in reference function, but this offers fewer options than reference managers. Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences has taken out a license for the EndNote programme and offers access to RefWorks.

For access to EndNote and more information about RefWorks, visit the library website under Tools.

Test your knowledge – Processing and referencing

Check: This is what you have learned!

  • You have learned what plagiarism is and how to prevent it.
  • You have learned what paraphrasing and quoting are.
  • You have learned what a referencing style is and that there are different referencing styles.
  • You have learned why you need to cite your sources.
  • You have learned what a reference manager is and chich ones are offered within RUAS.

Edubadge test

Take the test and earn an edubadge!

Classroom testing (request by teacher):

Students can participate in a digital test, which allows them to earn an edubadge. The organisation of this test can only be done in consultation with the library. To do this, please contact inforva@hr.nl. For more information, see our website.

Individual testing (request by student):

You can earn an edubadge by taking the test that accompanies this training course. The test is administered via the ANS testing system and is available to you for a fixed period of time. Request he test via this link.

If you are taking the test on your teacher's request, the test will probably be available to you in the ANS test system.

Test dates for 2025-2026 have not been set yet. Therefore, the test cannot be requested.

Please note:

  • The test - including two resits - will be available for one week. You do not need to request the resits. If you fail, they will be automatically made available to you.
  • You have 90 minutes to complete the test. Once you have opened the test, the timer will continue to run until the 90 minutes are up, even if you close the test programme. This means you must complete the test in one sitting.
  • If you have taken the test in a classroom setting, you will ot be able to take it individually, and vice versa. Please bear this in mind.

Information for teachers

Students can complete this training independently. After completing the training, students can test their knowledge with the edubadge test. If they pass, they will receive an edubadge. For more information about edubadges, click here.

Tip: ask students to attach their search strategy (see desk research form).

Would you like to place more focus in information literacy in your own lessons? Please contact your Embedded Librarian.

 

 

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    Last modified
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    Description
    There are more than a billion websites and more than 800,000 books are published each year. But where exactly can you find the information you need? In this training you will learn how to find reliable information relevant to your studies in a smart and fast way.
    Education level
    HBO - Master; HBO - Bachelor;
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    Difficulty
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    Keywords
    information literacy, orientate, quotation of sources, search methods, search techniques

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    Training literatuuronderzoek Hogeschool Rotterdam

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    Test your knowledge – Processing and referencing

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