In an age of technological advance and information overload, you can search for hours and still not find the right information.You need to know how to search effectively.
Search Strategies are ways of using Search Terms & Search Statements to find information effectively using a variety of Search Tools such as Google, the Library's "Search All" option or Online databases.
It is important that you should thoroughly understand the topic you are researching before you start searching for information. Dictionaries and encyclopaedias are a good place to begin. Dictionaries provide definitions of unfamiliar terms, whilst encyclopaedias give more detailed explanations and overviews of topics. Examples of both Online and Print Reference Sources can be found below.
The Routledge Critical Dictionary of Global Economics by 
An eponymous dictionary of economics : a guide to laws and theorems named after economists by 
Routledge Dictionary of Economics by 
The McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Economics by 1. Identifying Search Terms
Now that you understand the basics of the topic, think about the key concepts and identify possible search terms.
A first and very important step in searching for information for your topic is identifying keywords/search terms. Library databases require you to enter keywords into the search box because entering an entire essay topic/question will not be as effective and may likely return poor or even no results at all. The search terms you use are critical in determining the relevance of the results that you will retrieve.
2. Creating a Search Statement
To retrieve the most relevant search results, you need to construct a search statement.
A search statement is a combination of keywords that you enter into the search box of a database. You can use Boolean operators (connecting words) between the search terms. Boolean operators (connecting words) are the words used to connect search terms and to define the relationships between the search terms. These include AND, OR and NOT. To make your search more effective, the following techniques can be used:
e.g. “economic theory”
e.g. Econom* = economy, economies, economic and economist
organi*ation will retrieve both organisation and organization
Search statement examples:
"economic theory" AND "Production cost*"
(“Small Business” OR SME) AND “South Africa”
"Economic profit" AND "Average Total Cost"
3. Using Search Statements
These Search Statements can be used to find appropriate textbook sources and articles on Search All as well as on relevant library databases and websites.
TIPS
Always evaluate the information you read. Be particularly careful when consulting Wikipedia and similar internet sites as the authority and reliability of the content cannot be guaranteed.
When deciding if a webpage is reliable, you should ask yourself the following questions.
| Reasoning | |
| Who? | Only cite authors who have some credentials that qualify them to talk about the subject. |
| What? | Identify the type of research you need--most online forums, blogs, or presentations are not peer reviewed. |
| When? | Use research from websites that are regularly maintained to insure that the information isn't outdated. |
| Where? | Material should be available on academic websites--pay attention to the quality of the website. Avoid .coms and .nets. |
| Why? | Know why you need the information, and also why the information was published. Avoid biased websites. |
| How? |
Webpages should cite their information so you know how the information was gathered. |
