LibGuides: MUS 381: Reference and Research Materials in Music: Research Tips

General Library Search Tips

Develop a list of keywords: Brainstorm a list of synonyms and related words to expand your search.
Use double quotes: When searching with phrases, be sure to join them together by using double quotation marks.
- For example "rhapsody in blue" or "appalachian spring"
Use truncation: Truncation allows you to search for a root word and all of its various endings.
- When using the search bar on the UT Libraries homepage or searching in library databases for articles, be sure to use a * to indicate the search should accept any letters that follow.
  - For example: symphon*, sonat*
  - Just keep in mind when truncating that some common musical terms, especially when truncated, are common outside of music: organ* includes organism, organization, organic; opera* includes operation, operator
Use AND/OR/NOT: Boolean keyword searches link multiple search terms and return more efficient search results.
- For example:
  - brahms AND quartets AND henlea
  - mozart AND "quartet OR chamber"
- Use AND to narrow down your results. Use OR to expand your results.

How to Evaluate Sources
Learn more about how to evaluate and determine the credibility of sources you find around the web.
Keyword Generator Tool
A useful tool provided by UT Libraries to help you think through keywords and put them together for your search strategy.

Topic Finding and Thesis Formation

Follow your interest
Look for tensions, anomalies and unanswered questions
What assumptions have been made in previous scholarship surrounding a topic?
What critical approaches have and haven't been taken with certain topics?
Narrow or broaden an area of interest, and look for ways you can situate an argument within a larger argument, or in opposition to another argument
Look outside of music at other influences and factors that are related to your topic

EID login required