{"id":6896,"date":"2024-08-21T16:30:54","date_gmt":"2024-08-21T21:30:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/news\/?p=6896"},"modified":"2024-10-03T08:49:19","modified_gmt":"2024-10-03T13:49:19","slug":"level-up-your-infohawk-search-game-with-these-5-tools-and-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/news\/2024\/08\/21\/level-up-your-infohawk-search-game-with-these-5-tools-and-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Level up your InfoHawk+ search game with these 5 tools and tips"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The University of Iowa Libraries serve as your gateway to a nearly endless universe of information. This means that no matter what you\u2019re researching for that paper, project, or presentation, there\u2019s something in our database, InfoHawk+, that will hit the mark\u2014if you know how to find it. Since a new semester is about to begin, it\u2019s the perfect time to expand your search skills. If you\u2019re ready to dive in<\/a>, here are some tips to get you started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Pinpoint an exact phrase in your search using quotation marks.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Search engines and databases tend to cast a wide net. That\u2019s ideal when you\u2019re searching for a topic that can be encompassed by a single, highly specific word or phrase. But often, what you\u2019re looking for is going to be more particular. Let\u2019s use the topic of music therapy<\/em><\/a> as an example. Without quotation marks, the database will prioritize results that cover both \u201cmusic\u201d and \u201ctherapy,\u201d but you\u2019ll also have to sift through many results that cover only one word or the other. If you want only results that place the two words side by side, place the entire phrase, \u201cmusic therapy,\u201d in quotation marks. That way, the search engine will know that you\u2019re looking for a complete phrase, exactly as you\u2019ve typed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

2. Take advantage of the Advanced Search function.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Beside the search bar, you\u2019ll see a link to use \u201cAdvanced Search.\u201d This can be especially helpful when you already know which author or title you\u2019re searching for, since you can choose to search a word within the field of \u201ctitle\u201d or \u201cauthor.\u201d But it\u2019s also perfect for narrowing down the date range for your results. For example, let\u2019s say you\u2019re interested in the most cutting-edge findings in your scientific field. Advanced Search allows you to easily exclude search results outside of a specific date range. You can also filter by language and material type.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

3. Toggle the Focused Search option if you\u2019re only interested in the Libraries\u2019 catalogs.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The default option on InfoHawk+ will return resources from across the plethora of the Libraries\u2019 journal and database<\/a> subscriptions. But what if you\u2019re looking for something that belongs to the Libraries\u2019 collections? Toggle \u201cFocused search<\/a>\u201d to limit your results to the Libraries\u2019 physical and electronic resources only. Just remember to turn it off if you\u2019re ready to broaden your search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

4. Refine your results.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Even after searching with Advanced Search and narrowing your search using quotation marks, InfoHawk+ is likely to return thousands of relevant resources. But if you\u2019re gathering research for a paper, you\u2019re probably not looking for just any source; you want to cite an article that\u2019s undergone peer review. Once you\u2019re looking at a results page, narrow resources by selecting \u201cPeer Reviewed Journals\u201d along the lefthand side of the results page. These materials are more likely to be credible<\/a>, forming the best possible basis for your work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

5. Looking for video? Specify your resource type.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The UI Libraries subscribes to Kanopy<\/a> and is a member of the Big Ten Academic Alliance<\/a>, both of which have free video resources for your academic (or entertainment) needs. If you\u2019re looking to stream the 2022 film Everything Everywhere All at Once<\/em>, an unrefined InfoHawk+ search will give you\u2026everything: journal articles, dissertations, and books in which the film is mentioned. Try checking \u201cVideos\u201d under \u201cResource Type\u201d to find a version you can stream instantly. And if you\u2019d prefer a physical version, like a DVD, select \u201cDVD\u201d under \u201cResource Type\u201d instead. The Libraries has an impressive collection of DVD resources, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still have questions about how to make the most of InfoHawk+? Check out this LibGuide<\/a> or reach out to a librarian<\/a>\u2014our team is here to help!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The University of Iowa Libraries serve as your gateway to a nearly endless universe of information. This means that no matter what you\u2019re researching for that paper, project, or presentation, there\u2019s something in our database, InfoHawk+, that will hit the mark\u2014if you know how to find it. Since a new semester is about to begin,Continue reading “Level up your InfoHawk+ search game with these 5 tools and tips”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":331,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"syndication":[46,58,49,33,80,57],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6896"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/331"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6896"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6896\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6979,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6896\/revisions\/6979"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6896"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6896"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6896"},{"taxonomy":"syndication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/syndication?post=6896"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}