Search Strategies
Spending some time planning out your search can help yield more relevant results on your topic.
First, identify the main concepts of your topic.
What barriers do lesbian couples experience with fertility assistance and parental rights?
Next, brainstorm synonyms and related terms for your main concepts.
Do some initial searches online, in reference databases, or try an initial search in a database and explore subject terms that are used in relevant articles. Still not sure what keywords to use? Ask a peer, your professor, or a librarian.
lesbians OR LGBTQ+ OR gay
"fertility assistance" OR IVF OR IUI OR "artificial insemination"
Databases for Background Research
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Articles from encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference books. Covers all major academic areas. An excellent place to start when learning the basics of any topic. Will help focus your topic, find keywords and people, and discover more in-depth books and articles. Images, audio and video files are included.
- CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive reporting and analysis on “hot topics” in the news. Each single-themed report is researched and written by a seasoned journalist, footnoted and professionally fact checked. (Coverage: 1923 --)
Marginalized Voices Honeycomb
The Marginalized Voices Honeycomb offers 6 broad categories of sources that can be publishing work on your topic. Fill out the honeycomb with the names of relevant sources that would be engaging with your topic.
| Academic Voices | Journal articles, monographs, conference proceedings/presentations, theses and dissertations |
| News Media | Local, community-based, or national reporting. Newspapers, videos, audio, etc. |
| Community Voices | Social media, YouTube videos, podcasts, blogs, forums |
| Association and Organization Reports | Information publicized by associations and organizations whose operations are related to your topic |
| Public Sector Reports | Government publications, publications from Indigenous self-governance groups, social services like policing, healthcare, etc. |
| Stakeholders and Allies | Communities, organizations, nonprofit organizations, companies, etc. affected by or connected to the topic |
Created by Jackie Stapleton, Liaison Librarian, University of Waterloo
Adapted by: Aneta Kwak, Mikayla Redden, Jeff Newman, Liaison Librarians, University of Toronto. Last update: March 2023