1) Search for the resource the library website www.library.utoronto.ca
2) If using Google Scholar, set your web browser to recognize you as a UofT Student
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Think about the different types of information these sources
Think of the language that will be the most effective for your search and keep track of keywords (search terms) that produce the best results. Ask yourself:
Transcript avaiable for Library 101 - How to Choose Keywords
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)
Using Boolean Operators (AND, OR, NOT) and Boolean Modifiers (quotation marks, asterisk, parentheses) allows you to widen or narrow the search for your keywords and target your research topic:
Transcript Available for Library 101 - Boolean Operators
Watch out for US vs Canadian Spelling, synonyms, acronyms
Use only when you need to remove topics that overwhelm your search results
Transcript available for Library 101 - Boolean Modifiers
Search for specific phrases or names or different spellings e.g., hyphens
Be aware that this doesn't work in certain databases.
Use only when you need to remove topics that overwhelm your search results
A topic search uses the full item record to figure out how that item is described by the library. You can then use that linked-description to find items on the same subject.
First search by keyword:
Next choose the most relevant result and open the full record by clicking the title:
Once you have opened the full record, scroll down to the "Details" section:
There is a lot of information in this section, but the part you need is next to the heading "Subject":
Of the four subjects assigned to this book, "Women video gamers" is probably the closest to the topic of women and gaming. To view other items assigned the same subject, just click Women video gamers and a new set of search results will appear that are all assigned the same topic phrase.
Also look at the subjects assigned to the new results. You may find a related subject that fits even more closely with your topic. For instance, the book highlighted in the following image is described with the subject "Women video gamers", but also the subjects:
Video games -- Social aspects -- Women
Computer games -- Social aspects -- Women
Video games industry -- Social aspects -- Women
"Record" is the word that the library uses to describe each item in your set of results.
Item records are important because they provide basic information about each source including:
Each of these numbered elements are shown in the following image.
Each record in your search results also provides access to a more detailed description of the record as well as additional tools you can use to share or save this information. To access the detailed source record, click on the thumbnail image or item title. If you want to share or save, click on one of the icons at the top right.
Clicking on the item thumbnail or title will open a more detailed record as shown in the following image:
When reading the detailed record, notice the navigation menu on the left side. Selecting any of these options will take you further down the page or return you to the top. Options include: Top, Send To, View Online, Get It, Details, More Information, and Citations.
The following table explains what each menu options does:
| Option | Action |
|---|---|
| Top | Return to top of page |
| Send To | Seven options for sharing or exporting information about an item |
| View Online | Provides link to Full Text if available in electronic format |
| Get It | Lists library locations where item is shelved if available in physical format |
| Details | This section provides various descriptive information which may include detailed abstract, table of contents, author information, and subject headings. Note: Some text in this section is hyperlinked. Click on any hyperlink to see other sources described with the same information |
| More Information | If present, this option may provide link to source of descriptive information |
| Citations | If present, provides links for citation searching. See Follow Citation Trails |
Once you have input your search terms and clicked the search button, a set of results will appear that conforms to the criteria you identified.
Each results page is divided into two sections. The menu on the left side provides various ways to narrow your search. The content on the right is a list of results, each a brief record of one source.
Notice that above the first result is a page number, the number of results on the current page, and the total results generated by your search. You can use this information to decide if your search needs to be narrowed or expanded.
