How to Plan a Comprehensive Search: Multi-Strategy Search Model

A metaphor for using Multi-Strategy search...Weave together a basket of strategies to capture all the research studies.

Every library discovery tool has limitations in language, inclusion, database construction, and search engine functionality.  It is difficult to feel confident that you have accurately identified all the academic conversation around a focused topic when you have only used a single search approach.

Using multiple search strategies is like weaving a basket.
Asking your question in several places, in multiple ways, allows you to weave together a tight net of citations without holes.

When the topic is focused and the scope is comprehensive... it is appropriate to use the Multi-Strategy search model 

• In the Critical Review of Research Learning Achievement, you must identify ALL the studies on your topic, within the exclusionary parameters which you set. The multi-strategy model is well suited to this learning achievement.
• Some components of your overall Dissertation Literature Review might also benefit from this comprehensive approach.

​Although the Strategies below are numbered, they are not intended to be done in order.  You might enter the search with any strategy that makes sense.

• Strategy 1 :  Search by Subject in Traditional Bibliographic Subject Indexes
  • Choose multiple indexes, according to the scope of their inclusion.- Bibliographic Indexes of Antioch University
  • Plan and execute fielded Boolean subject searches on your topic. - ​Tools of Power Searching
     
• Strategy 2 :  Citation Mining [Backward]
  • Use reference lists in studies discovered in Strategy One
  • Identify key books and monographs on topic and explore their bibliographic sections
    •  ​Worldcat Local
    •  AU ebook Collections
    •  Google Books
  • Use ​ Dissertations and Theses Database to identify and download recent dissertation and read their Literature Review Sections.
  • Discover Literature Review articles on your topic using the "Literature Review"  subject heading and methodology fields in bibliographic indexes  PsycINFO
  • Mine key essays in specialized literature review sources, e.g
    •   Oxford Handbook series
    •  Annual Review series

• Strategy 3 :  Search Citations [Forward]
  • Selecting seminal or key studies on your topic, forward search in ​ Web of Science Index
  •  Google Scholar offers a "Cited By" Feature.
  • Within some indexes, e.g. PscINFO a record includes a link to other studies [only within that database] which cite that item.
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• Strategy 4 :  Do a Deep Journal Search/ Deep Author Search .. When appropriate
  • Some of journals - accessible in full text via the ​ A-Z Journal Gateway - can be browsed or searched in Full Text
  • Author indexes in all databases
    
    
• Strategy 5 :  Search Outsider Sources
  • Personal Communication
  • Blogs, ListServs,
  • Google and other search engines
  • Professional Association Websites
  • Grey literature: OAister  or GreyLit
  • Conference proceedings: https://libguides-phd.antioch.edu/proceedings