TEDU310/EDUC384 Database Searching Tutorial
Module 4: Advanced Searching
Using the thesaurus
The thesaurus lists all the subject headings (or descriptors) used by ERIC.
The thesaurus is not only useful, but necessary, because:
- ERIC is an international database and names for things vary from country to country, e.g. what we call a primary school in New Zealand is called an elementary school in North America.
- Even within our own country we use different names for the same thing, e.g. high school/secondary school, teenagers/adolescents.
Access the thesaurus by clicking on the Thesaurus Button on the bar at the top of the search screen.
Practice exercise 6
- Maximize ERIC and click on the thesaurus button at the top of the screen.
- Type "motivation" into the Browse for box, and click the Browse button (make sure you type the term into the Browse for box, not the Find box).
- When the term appears on your screen, click on it. You will then see a scope note (definition), broader term, narrower terms, and list of related terms. The related terms often give you ideas for other search terms you could use.
- Try entering another term into the browse for box and practice using the thesaurus to find terms.
- When you feel confident using this function, minimize ERIC and continue with the tutorial by clicking on the Next button.
Do not search directly from the thesaurus. If you search directly from the thesaurus, limits will not be applied to your search and you will retrieve non-research articles and documents. Instead, use the thesaurus to check terms and find related terms. If you wish to do another search using thesaurus terms, click on the Advanced Search tab at the top of the screen and enter the term(s) into the find box. You will need to set the limits again.
