These tips are specific for our general Mardigian Search, however, you can apply these same keyword search strategies to anywhere you do research. In the Mardigian search box above, type in keywords to get you started.
Keyword Searches
- Keywords are the important themes and words you're interested in researching
- Try getting inspiration from tags on your initial search results. These are words or phrases that the author/publisher/editor have determined to be major themes or concepts in the piece. Search algorithms match your initial keyword searches with these tags.
- Don't use filler words like effect, impact, role, or connection as these will muck up the search.
- You may have to look for synonyms or variations to your original keyword search.
- A possible search for this course could be [Horror film AND Disability]
- In order to have Horror Film appear as one phrase you will need to add quotations around it. So your search will be ["Horror film" AND disability]
Select Content Type
- Choose what format you'd prefer
- Examples: Book/eBook, Journal Article, Magazine Article, Streaming Video, Web Resources, ...
- If you don't have a preference you can always leave all of the results in and continue to narrow down by the suggestions below
Filter Your Search Results
- In Mardigian Search, use Refine Your Search on the left hand side
- Select Disciplines and Subjects that interest you
- Example of Disciplines: anthropology, film, journalism and communication, sociology and social history, visual arts ...
- Example of Subjects: actors, american cinema, art exhibits, cinema, broadcasting, interactive media, criticism & Interpretation, disabilities, disability, disabled people, disabled person, feature films, festivals, film genres, halloween, horror films, motion pictures, thrillers, violence, ...
- Select the publication date you find most useful by moving the yellow slide scale
Refine Your Search
- Continue to narrow down your results by changing the Discipline and Subjects selected.
- Change your keyword search as you go. You will find as you do your research that your initial research question may change and become more specific to narrow down your focus.
- Play around with it as you go and contact your professor or the library at ask-the-mardigian@umich.edu
