Introduction to Africana Studies

Your database search success depends on the effectiveness of your keywords.  Identify your main research concepts, then brainstorm synonyms and related terms. Use multiple words per idea and be flexible and creative with keywords to uncover more articles.  Flexibility and creativity are key to a successful search.

Example Topic: How does access to microfinance for women in rural Kenya affect child nutrition?

• Use quotation marks " " to search for an exact phrase. For example, "food security".  This is telling the database to search for two keywords in the same order.  This generates more relevant results.  Otherwise, you will be searching for "food"  and "security" separately. 
• Use an asterisk * as a wildcard, which allows you to search for variations of the word. For example, econom* will generate results with the cords "economy", "economic", "economical", and "economics". 

Your database search success depends on the effectiveness of your keywords.  Identify your main research concepts, then brainstorm synonyms and related terms. Use multiple words per idea and be flexible and creative with keywords to uncover more articles.  Flexibility and creativity are key to a successful search.

A few examples, from specific to broader concepts to specific synonyms:

• The Great Migration

  • Synonyms & Related Terms: "Black Migration", "Great Northward Migration", internal migration, urbanization, demographic shifts

• African Americans

  • Synonyms & Related Terms: "Black Americans", "Southern Blacks", "Black workers", sharecroppers, "Negroes" (important for historical sources)

• Causes / Reasons

  • Synonyms & Related Terms: "push and pull factors", "Jim Crow", segregation, racial violence, lynching, economic opportunity, industrial jobs

• Effects / Impact

  • Synonyms & Related Terms: Northern cities, Chicago, Detroit, Harlem Renaissance, "social change", "housing segregation", "race relations", "cultural impact"

1..CQ ResearcherThis database provides in-depth reports on current and controversial topics. Each report gives you a background summary, a chronology of events, and a pro/con debate

• For example, if you search for 'Racial Justice,' you might find a report on 'Community Violence Intervention"
  • Overview will give you key historical context and names.
  • Pro/con section will show you the main arguments for and against reparations, which can help you decide on a specific focus for your paper, such as the economic arguments or the legal challenges.
  • Chronology (historical background): Important dates or trends, Laws, Presidential on Congressional initiatives. 
  • Every report has a bibliography that links to excellent foundational sources.
    • Biblography
    • The Nest Step
    • Contacts

2. Opposing Viewpoints This database is similar but organizes information by different types of sources: viewpoints (editorials), academic articles, news, statistics, etc. It's designed to show you all the different ways a topic is discussed.

• For example, If you explore the topic 'Black Lives Matter Movement'
  •  find articles arguing for different approaches to activism, statistical data on policing, and academic articles analyzing the movement's impact. 

    • No Room for Black Men in the Black Lives Matter Movement

  •  A good way to gather keywords from multiple perspectives and find a specific, debatable question to answer in your paper.
    
    Using the Topic Finder for Opposing Viewpoints is a good way to visualize connections.  
    • Example: Look for 'Black Lives Matter Movement' and explore other ways to refine your search. What are the results? 
      • Topic Tiles: select "Civil Rights Movement" for more keywords
      • Wheel: Select "George Floyd" and "activists"