When you use phrase searching, you instruct the database or search engine to locate a specific group of words in that exact sequence. This is especially valuable when:
How to Use Phrase Searching in Political Science, International Relations, and Global Affairs Research:
Simply enclose the phrase you're looking for in quotation marks. Most databases (like Emerald and JSTOR) and search engines recognise quotation marks as a signal for phrase searching.
Why Phrase Searching is Crucial for Students and Researchers:
Remember:
Proximity searching allows you to find words or phrases that appear near each other in a document, even if they're not directly adjacent. This is useful when:
How to Use Proximity Searching in Politics, International Relations, and Global Affairs Research:
Different databases use varying symbols and syntax for proximity searching. Common operators include:
Why Proximity Searching is Valuable for Students and Researchers:
Remember:
Wildcards are special characters that substitute for unknown or multiple letters, enabling you to broaden your search and uncover variations of words, leading to valuable discoveries in your research on politics, international relations, and global affairs.
The Asterisk (*):
The Question Mark (?):
How Wildcards Enhance Your Research:
Important Note: Each database might have its own rules for wildcards:
Boolean operators are simple words (AND, OR, NOT) that help you combine or exclude search terms, making your research in politics, international relations, and global affairs more precise and focused on the most relevant information.
Why Use Boolean Operators in Political Science, International Relations, and Global Affairs Research?
Examples in Research:
Parentheses (or brackets) act like guideposts in your search queries, instructing the database or search engine on how to group your search terms and in what order to process them. This ensures you get the most relevant results for your research in politics, international relations, and global affairs.
Here's why parentheses/brackets are essential for effective research in these fields:
Controlling the Search Engine's Logic:
Search engines have a default order for processing search terms (typically AND first, then OR). Parentheses allow you to override that order and prioritise certain terms or combinations, just like a political strategist prioritises policy goals.
Example: Searching for ("climate change" OR "global warming") AND ("international cooperation" OR "environmental policy") will find documents about climate change or global warming specifically related to international cooperation or environmental policy. Without the parentheses, the search engine might find documents about climate change/global warming in general, and then either international cooperation or environmental policy separately.
Grouping Similar Concepts:
By using parentheses with the OR operator, you can group together synonyms or related terms to broaden your search and ensure you capture all relevant information.
Example: Searching for (democracy OR "democratic governance" OR "political participation") AND ("human rights" OR "civil liberties") will find documents related to democracy and its connection to human rights or civil liberties.
Building Complex Queries:
Parentheses help clarify the meaning of complex searches that combine multiple operators and terms, just as you would structure a multifaceted research question.
Example: Searching for ("United Nations" OR UN) AND ("peacekeeping" OR "conflict resolution") AND ("Africa" OR "Sub-Saharan Africa") will find documents about the United Nations' involvement in peacekeeping or conflict resolution efforts in Africa.
In Summary:
Parentheses act like punctuation marks in a sentence, guiding the search engine to understand your intended meaning and deliver the most relevant results for your research. By using them effectively, you can:
Search String:
("international law" OR "human rights") AND ("armed conflict" OR "war") NEAR/5 (intervention* OR "use of force") NOT ("peacekeeping" OR "humanitarian aid")
Explanation:
Phrase Searching:
Boolean Operators:
Wildcard:
Proximity Searching:
What this search will find:
This search will uncover articles, reports, or other documents that discuss interventions or the use of force in armed conflicts, specifically in relation to international law and human rights concerns. It specifically excludes documents that primarily focus on peacekeeping operations or humanitarian aid, highlighting the legal and political debates surrounding the use of force in international conflicts.
Key Points:
Additional Notes: