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Criminology & Policing

Tips, Tricks and Time-Saving Tools

Imagine you're trying to find a specific quote from a book. You remember the exact words, but not where they are in the text. Phrase searching is like having a magnifying glass that can quickly scan through pages and pinpoint those exact words.

 

Phrase Searching: Finding the Exact Match

When you use phrase searching, you tell the database or search engine that you want to find a specific group of words in that exact order. This is especially useful when:

  • You're looking for a specific title: Searching for "The New Jim Crow" will find that book, not just articles that mention the words "new," "Jim," and "Crow."
  • You want a specific phrase: Searching for "broken windows theory" will find articles that use that exact phrase, not just those that mention "broken windows" and "theory" separately.
  • The order of the words is important: Searching for "police brutality" will find articles about police violence, not just those that mention police and brutality in general.

 

How to Use Phrase Searching:

Simply enclose the phrase you're looking for in quotation marks. Most databases and search engines recognise quotation marks as a signal for phrase searching.

 

Why Phrase Searching is Important:

  • Precision: It helps you find the exact information you need, not just related information.
  • Relevance: It ensures that the results you get are focused on your specific topic, not just general mentions of the words you're looking for.
  • Efficiency: It saves you time by filtering out irrelevant results.

 

Remember:

  • Don't use quotation marks around long phrases: If you use too many words in your phrase search, you might not find any results.
  • Combine phrase searching with other techniques: You can use phrase searching in combination with other techniques like Boolean operators and wildcards to refine your search even further.

 

By mastering phrase searching, you can make your searches more targeted and efficient, finding the information you need like a pro.

Imagine you're trying to find a song with a specific lyric. You remember two words from the song, but not their exact order or how close they are to each other. Proximity searching is like having a musical radar that can detect those words within a certain range, helping you find the song even if you don't remember the lyrics perfectly.

 

Proximity Searching: Finding Words Near Each Other

Proximity searching allows you to find words or phrases that appear near each other in a document, even if they're not right next to each other. This is useful when:

  • The order of the words is flexible: You might remember two concepts being mentioned in a paper, but not the exact phrase. For example, searching for "community policing" NEAR/5 "youth crime" would find documents where those terms appear within five words of each other, in any order.
  • You want to find related concepts: You might want to find documents where two ideas are discussed in close proximity, indicating a potential relationship between them. For example, searching for "police reform" NEAR/10 "body cameras" could find articles discussing the impact of body cameras on police reform efforts.
  • You're unsure of the exact phrase: Maybe you remember a general idea from a research paper, but not the precise wording. Proximity searching can help you find it even if you don't remember the exact phrasing.

 

How to Use Proximity Searching:

Different databases and search engines use different symbols and syntax for proximity searching. Common operators include:

  • NEAR/ or N/: Finds words within a certain number of words of each other. For example, police NEAR/5 brutality would find "police brutality" but also 'brutality against police'.
  • W: (Within) Finds words within a certain number of words of each other, in the order you specify. For example, police W3 brutality would find "police brutality" but not 'brutality against police'.
  • PRE/ or P/: Finds one word that appears within a certain number of words before the second. For example, police PRE/3 brutality would find "police brutality" but not "brutality against police."

 

Why Proximity Searching is Important:

  • Flexibility: It gives you more freedom than phrase searching, which requires exact word order.
  • Relevance: It can help you find documents where concepts are closely related, even if they're not expressed in the exact same way.
  • Discoverability: It can help you uncover information you might not have found with a more rigid search.

 

Remember:

  • Check the database's help guide: Different databases might have different rules for proximity searching, so be sure to check the specific syntax and operators they use. Some use a / between the operator and the number, like N/3 or NEAR/3; some do not, like W5.
  • Library Search does not allow proximity searching!

By mastering proximity searching, you can fine-tune your searches, find hidden connections between ideas, and uncover valuable information that might have otherwise slipped through the cracks.

 

Think of wildcards as your secret weapon for finding hidden treasures in databases. They're special characters that stand in for unknown or multiple letters, helping you broaden your search and find variations of words.

 

The Asterisk (*):

  • Replaces zero or more characters
  • Perfect for finding different endings or variations of a word stem
  • Example: Searching for criminolog* could find:
    • criminology
    • criminologist
    • criminological
    • criminalising

The Question Mark (?):

  • Replaces a single character
  • Useful for alternative spellings or when you're unsure of the exact spelling
  • Example: Searching for organi?ed could find:
    • organised (British spelling)
    • organized (American spelling)

 

How Wildcards Make Your Searches More Powerful:

  • Catch All the Variations: Instead of typing every possible ending or variation of a word, use a wildcard to find them all in one go. This saves you time and ensures you don't miss any relevant results.
  • Account for Spelling Differences: Different authors might use different spellings or there might be variations between British and American English. Wildcards help you find all the versions.
  • Find What You Don't Know: If you're unsure of the exact spelling of a word or term, wildcards can help you fill in the gaps and discover the correct spelling.

 

Important Note:

  • Each database might have its own rules for wildcards: Some databases might use different symbols, or have restrictions on how many wildcards you can use in a search. Always check the database's help section for specific instructions.

Imagine you're a detective, and you're trying to narrow down a list of suspects. Boolean operators are like your special tools for refining your investigation:

 

Boolean Operators: Your Search Superpowers

Boolean operators are simple words (AND, OR, NOT) that help you combine or exclude search terms, making your searches more precise and focused.

  • AND: Narrows your search. Like saying "I want suspects who are tall AND have brown hair AND were seen near the crime scene." All conditions must be true.

  • OR: Broadens your search. Like saying "I want suspects who are tall OR have brown hair OR were seen near the crime scene." At least one condition must be true.

  • NOT: Excludes terms. Like saying "I want suspects who are tall, but NOT those with brown hair." This eliminates certain suspects from your list.

 

Why Use Boolean Operators?

  • Find exactly what you need: By combining terms in specific ways, you can zero in on the most relevant information.
  • Save time: Avoid sifting through irrelevant results by using Boolean operators to filter out unwanted information.
  • Get more accurate results: Be specific with your search terms and combinations to get the most precise answers.

 

Examples:

 

Remember, Boolean operators are a powerful tool to make your searches more effective and efficient. Use them wisely, and you'll find the information you need like a seasoned detective!

Imagine you're building a Lego structure. You need different pieces to work together in specific ways to create the final result. Brackets or parentheses act like those instructions, telling the search engine how to group your search terms and what order to process them in.

 

Here's why brackets/parentheses are important:

 

1. Controlling the Order of Operations:

  • Search engines have a default order for processing terms (usually AND first, then OR). Brackets let you override that order and prioritise certain terms or combinations.
  • Example: Searching for "police recruitment" AND (women OR minorities) will find documents about police recruitment efforts focused on women or minorities. Without the brackets, the search engine might find documents about police recruitment in general, and then either women or minorities separately.

 

2. Grouping Synonyms or Related Terms:

  • By using parentheses with the OR operator, you can group together synonyms or similar concepts to broaden your search.
  • Example: Searching for (prison OR jail OR incarceration) AND reform will find documents about reforms related to any of those terms.

 

3. Complex Searches:

  • Brackets help to clarify the meaning of complex searches that combine multiple operators and terms.
  • Example: Searching for (organi?ed crime OR terrorism) AND (prevention OR intervention) will find documents about preventing or intervening in either organized crime or terrorism. We can also use the wildcard ? to account for the different ways organise/organize can be spelled.

 

In Summary:

Brackets act like punctuation in a sentence, guiding the search engine to understand your intended meaning and deliver more relevant results. By using them effectively, you can control the logic of your search, group related terms, and build complex searches that accurately reflect your research question.

("community polic*" OR "neighbo?rhood watch") AND (effect* OR impact*) NEAR/5 ("youth crime" OR "juvenile delinquenc*") NOT "police brutalit*"

Explanation:

  1. Phrase Searching:

    • "community polic*": Uses an asterisk wildcard to find variations like "community policing" and "community police."
    • "neighbo?rhood watch": Searches for this exact phrase, allowing for British and American spelling.
    • "youth crime": Searches for this exact phrase.
    • "juvenile delinquenc*": Uses an asterisk wildcard to find variations like "juvenile delinquency" and "juvenile delinquents."

  2. Boolean Operators:

    • OR: Broadens the search to include either "community polic*" or "neighbo?rhood watch," and either "youth crime" or "juvenile delinquenc*."
    • AND: Narrows the search to include only results that contain both a community policing/neighbourhood watch term AND a youth crime/juvenile delinquency term.
    • NOT: Excludes results that contain the phrase "police brutality."

  3. Proximity Searching:

    • NEAR/5: Ensures that the terms on either side of this operator appear within five words of each other in the text. In this case, it links the community policing/neighbourhood watch terms to the youth crime/juvenile delinquency terms, ensuring the results discuss their relationship.

What this search will find:

This search will find articles, research papers, or other documents that discuss the effects or impacts of community policing or neighbourhood watch programs on youth crime or juvenile delinquency, while excluding any documents that primarily focus on police brutality.

Key Points:

  • This search is flexible and comprehensive, using a combination of techniques to maximize relevant results.
  • It prioritises relevance by ensuring that the key concepts are closely linked within the text.
  • It avoids unwanted results by excluding the term "police brutality."

Additional Notes:

  • You can adjust the proximity distance (NEAR/5) based on your specific needs and the database you're using.
  • This search can be further refined by adding more terms or using other Boolean operators.
  • Always consult the specific database's help guide to confirm the correct syntax for wildcards and proximity operators.

By understanding and applying these search techniques, you can significantly improve your research skills and uncover valuable information that might have otherwise remained hidden.