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ABE

Business, Accounting, Economics

Search Tips

Getting Started:

When searching in any search engine, (databases, library catalog, google scholar, etc.) it is best to use keywords rather than typing the full question or topic.

For example, if your question is:

Economics: "How do inflation rates and interest rate policies affect small business growth and entrepreneurship in emerging economies?"

Next, brainstorm synonyms OR related key words. You may type words such as these in the search bar:

inflation, interest rate, policy, small business, startup, rising market, growing economy, price growth rates, cost of living increases, monetary policies, cost of capital management

Advanced Search Tips:

Using Boolean Operators (AND, OR, NOT)

Boolean operators are used to either refine or expand your search. They are placed in between your keywords to yield more specific search results.

Too Few Results
Use: AND
For example: startup AND inflation 
Either/Or Results  
Use: OR  
For example: startup OR inflation  
Too Many Results
Use: NOT
For example: startup NOT monopoly 

Other research questions to practice breaking down:

Accounting: "How do recent changes in financial reporting standards (such as IFRS or GAAP updates) impact the transparency and comparability of corporate financial statements?"

Business: "What role does corporate social responsibility (CSR) play in influencing consumer purchasing decisions and brand loyalty in the modern marketplace?"

Visual Brainstorming:

If you prefer to draw when brainstorming, you may want to draw a concept map. You can do this on paper, a white board, or a smart board. For online resources focused on concept mapping, we recommend Canva. 

Search Example

Below shows how you might begin entering keywords in the library catalog search bar. It's always best to start off simple, with just a few keywords.