Computer Science

On this page, you will find the following: 

• Tips for starting your search.  
• Guidance for connecting your Google Scholar to UT libraries for full-text access to material you find on Google Scholar. 
• Learn about and how to use Boolean Operators. 
• Tips for effectively searching in databases. 

• Compile a list of keywords related to your research topic.  
• Browse the cultivated list of Databases (tab to the left) and pick one that looks promising OR head to Google Scholar to start your search. 
• Review the Searching Tips and Boolean Operators guidance. 
• Start searching! 

Check out the Citation Managers for Research Organization guide for tips and tools for keeping track of the material you find. 

Need help? Schedule an appointment! 

Google Scholar is a good starting point if you are at the beginning of your search and unsure where to start! Additionally, you can...

• Link up to UT Libraries to get full-text access to content
• Save it to your Google Scholar Library 
•  See other papers that have cited the resource you're looking at (Check out Citation Searching to learn how this is helpful!)

Instructions for linking

Google Scholar Link to Library: 

1. Go to Google Scholar 
2. Navigate to settings (hamburger menu, top-left corner)
3. Click Library Links
4. In the provided search bar, search - University of Texas at Austin
5. "The University of Austin - View it @UT" should appear underneath the search bar. Click the box next to it. 
6. Click Save. 

When the connection is successful, you will be able to see the "View it @UT" option to the right of the search result. 

Although Google Scholar should NOT be your only source, don't be scared to use it! It's a great tool. If you need additional help, reach out! 

Boolean operators are used to make finding resources related to your research topic easier! Use them when combining terms to broaden or narrow your search. What each one does is listed below. 

AND 

• used to narrow down your search 
• Good for combining ideas and concepts, and it tells the database that the results it brings back need to have each term included
• WARNING: getting too specific can be a hit or miss. Sometimes, you will come back with no results. In those cases, open up your search. 

OR 

• used to broaden your search 
• connect concepts 
• good for looking for resources that talk about the same topic but are referenced in different ways (for example: teen OR youth OR adolescent)

NOT 

• Used to narrow your search 
• Excludes  

Best practices for searching are relatively consistent across interfaces. No matter which database you choose, remember these important tips...

1) Don't search wth your topic as a single phrase! Determine the key concepts of your topic. Then place each concept in its own search bar.  For example...

2) Use ORs to string together synonyms or related terms for those concepts...

3) Use truncation, when appropriate. Adding an * to the end of a word will catch all forms of that word. For example, teach* will return teach, teachers, teaching, etc.

4) Use proximity searches to force a relationship between two terms. This isn't always needed, but it's sometimes super helpful. Completion is a common word that may come up in many context. The search below means that the word complete or completion must appear within two words of college in the article title and abstracts.

5) Look for the "peer reviewed" limit in each database, and set date limits as appropriate for your topic. Don't choose the "Full Text" limit as this will exclude articles that we have online via other sources. Just follow the orange "Find it @ UT" button to be taken to the journal sites.