Choosing your Search Terms

Think of the language that will be the most effective for your search and keep track of search terms that produce the best results. Ask yourself: 

• Will your topic be discussed in the news using scholarly terms or would other terminology be more effective?
• Has the terminology changed over time or based on location? 

Designing your Search Strategies

Some databases allow you to enter search terms on separate lines (e.g., enter a keyword the top line and researcher or activist's last name below, so as to articulate your search request)

Use Boolean Operators allow you to widen or narrow the search for your keywords and target your research topic:

Quotations marks (search for specific phrases or names)

• "Disability Studies", "Crip Theory", "Feminist Disability Studies", "Disability Activism", "Society for Disability Studies" 

• "deaf rights" OR deaf-rights 

Asterisk * (widen your search results, in certain databases) 

• disab* = disabled, disability, disabilities  

  • Avoid if using quotation marks e.g., "disability studies"

• institut* = institutions, institution's, institutional

AND (narrows your search)

• disability AND institut*

• disabilit* AND subway AND access AND Toronto

OR (widens your search)

• autism OR Aspergers 

• memoir OR diary OR "personal essay" 

• disabilit* AND (subway OR TTC) AND (Toronto OR Ontario)

  • ROUNDED BRACKETS ( ... ) instruct the database on which words to target when using AND, OR, NOT (Toronto OR Ontario)

NOT (exclude from your search)

• disability NOT education 

• disability AND (India OR Indian OR Mumbai)  NOT (indigenous OR "North America")

Search with Subject Headings in the Library Catalogue

1. Go to UTL LibrarySearch Advanced Search
2. Enter any of the subject headings found below exactly as it appears in the Search Box 
3. Choose Subject from the Search Filters drop-down menu on the left
4. Press Enter,  or click on the Magnifying Glass button, to launch the search

For additional information on subject headings in LibrarySearch, visit How can I use subject headings to improve my searching?

Note: The main heading for animation is animated films which is subdivided by country/region, topic, theme, etc. For books about anime, use animation (cinematography) japan; for books about genre itself, use film genres.