Database Thesaurus

What is a database search term?

Arrange the steps a researcher would take to refine their use of database search terms, starting from an initial broad inquiry and moving toward a focused set of results.

A psychology student is using an academic database to find sources for a literature review. Match each specific research objective with the most effective database search terms to retrieve highly relevant records while filtering out irrelevant ones.

A psychology researcher analyzes their search results for the term 'stress' and finds thousands of records spanning from 'post-traumatic stress disorder' to 'cellular stress' to 'economic stress.' True or False: Based on the broad diversity of these results, the researcher can conclude that 'stress' is currently acting as a search term with high specificity for a study focused on PTSD.

Researchers often need to experiment with different combinations and specificities of search terms because academic databases contain millions of records.

A student searching a psychology database for a paper on 'the impact of sleep on memory' finds that the broad search term 'memory' returns millions of records. Why would experimenting with a more specific phrase, such as 'sleep deprivation and spatial memory,' be the most appropriate next step in the research process?

A psychology researcher evaluates their database search strategy for a project on 'the impact of prenatal stress on infant temperament.' They judge the search term 'stress' as being an inadequate choice for this specific literature review. This evaluative judgment is based on the fact that the term 'stress' lacks sufficient _____ to filter out millions of unrelated records, such as those concerning engineering or plant biology.

A psychology student is searching PsycINFO for sources for different research projects. Match each problematic search situation to the most appropriate corrective action based on how database search terms work.

A student searches PsycINFO using only the term 'memory' and retrieves hundreds of thousands of records covering neuroscience, clinical disorders, educational psychology, and animal cognition. She analyzes this result and concludes: 'Because a single broad term matches records across too many unrelated topics, I need to experiment with different _____ of search terms to narrow my results to highly relevant articles on my specific topic.'

A researcher wants to find articles on 'cognitive behavioral therapy for childhood anxiety disorders' using an academic database. Arrange the following actions in the order that best represents a principled, evaluative approach to developing an effective search term strategy, from first to last.

Define what a database search term is and state the primary reasons why researchers must experiment with different combinations and levels of specificity when using them to search academic databases.

Based on your comprehension of database search terms, explain why Marcus retrieved so many irrelevant records and decide what adjustments he should make to his search terms to retrieve highly relevant articles.

Apply your knowledge of database search terms to design an initial search strategy for a student who wants to find research on 'how social media usage relates to adolescent depression.' What specific search terms and strategy should they use to avoid retrieving millions of general records?