Subject searching entails accessing abstracting and indexing services to find materials that are classified with relevant subjects headings. A user can browse the thesaurus of subject headings or start from the headings identified for a relevant text.

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- Footnote chasing
- Citation searching
- Journal run
- Area scanning
- Subject searches
- Author searching

Berrypicking Search Strategies

Bates, M. J. (1989). The design of browsing and berrypicking techniques for the online search interface. University of California, Los Angeles, from https://pages.gseis.ucla.edu/faculty/bates/berrypicking.html

The Design of Browsing and Berrypicking Techniques for the Online Search Interface

Footnote chasing entails following the footnotes referenced in a text to move backward through the literature on a topic.

Footnote Chasing Search Strategy

Journal running entails identifying the relevant volume years for a particular journal to find relevant articles for the information need.

Journal Run Search Strategy

Area scanning entails browsing texts based on their proximity in a physical space to a relevant text.

Area Scanning Search Strategy

Subject Search Strategy

Author searching entails using an author's name to find other relevant materials they have authored.

Author Search Strategy

A citation search is a method of navigating the research literature by locating the database record for a classic, foundational article on a topic, and then linking to a list of newer works that have cited it. This technique is effective because subsequent researchers investigating the same topic are highly likely to reference the original classic article in their own publications.

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