Search 1: You need to write a report on the relationships between brothers and sisters.
Solution:
1. Think about the nouns and variations of nouns in the topic
2. Do an advanced search for brothers AND sisters AND "personal relationships"
3. Do an advanced brothers AND sisters AND "sibling rivalry" OR jealousy OR competition
4. Do and advanced search for siblings AND personal relationships
Search 2: You want to write a report to tell if the reasons people in the U.S. got divorced between 1950 and 1970 are different than they are between 1990 and 2010.
Solution:
1. Do an advanced search for divorce AND reasons AND united states
2. Do and advanced search for divorces AND causes AND united state
3. For each search set the date range slider to1990 and 2010 and update the results
4. Do the searches again and set the date range slider to 1950 and 1970 and update the results.
5. Compare the titles in the results list between the 2 date ranges.
Search 3: You want to find out if computer games are bad for kids? You would like to see the arguments for and against.
Solution:
1. At the home page type computer games in the search box.
2. At the list of results, click on the first article, titled Video Games. In typical CQ fashion the entire article
examines both sides of the question.
3. Click on Pro/Con for a short debate between experts.
4. Select "Search by Subject" and click on the "Search" button
Search 4: You want to write a report on childhood obesity that includes on children under 13?
Solution:
1. Do an advanced search for child* AND obesity NOT adolescents OR teen*
2. Select "Search by Keyword" and click on the "Search" button.
3. You get over 7000 results which is to many.
4. Use the Subject: Thesaurus terms and select "Overweight Children."
5. You get around 600 results
Search 5: You want scholarly information on the Patriot Act.
Solution:
1. Do an advanced search for patriot act
2. You get over 1600 results which is to many.
3. Use the Subject: Thesaurus terms and select "United states. Patriot act of 2001."
4. You get around 180 results, some of which are magazines and newspapers
5. Select Academic Journals and get 30 focused results with only scholarly items.