Library Research Tips: How to Find the Literature You Need

There are many ways to search for literature on a specific topic – there is no single, perfect method. Before you begin, make sure you have a clear idea of what you are looking for. By defining your topic clearly, your search will be more effective. The goal is to narrow your scope in order to end up with the most relevant results.

We recommend collecting a range of search terms that cover different aspects of your topic. It can be helpful to include words with the same or similar meanings in your search (“synonym search”).

Search engines or library catalogs often only return results that match your exact search terms. This means that if you want your search results to be as exhaustive as possible, you should consider writing search terms in both their singular and plural forms and using both upper- and lower-case spellings. Consider including terms from more than one language and remember that specific foreign languages may be important in different subject areas.

Expanding Your Search

When it comes to research, it usually makes sense to start with what is available to you locally. At Freie Universität, you can use the Primo library portal to search for available resources.

Primo is the university library’s system for finding available resources at Freie Universität Berlin. It includes all the classic functions of an online catalog, for example, a user account and the ability to manage settings. Using Primo allows you to find resources in the online catalog and beyond. It provides you with a single interface that you can use to search for print media, electronic books, journal articles, individual book chapters, or audiovisual media. Primo results also include digital media available to universities, research institutions, and academic libraries across Germany through the German Research Foundation (DFG)’s national licensing program. Result lists in Primo contain information on the items’ availability and direct users to full texts – provided the university library has the relevant license or the texts are freely accessible. However, if you want to carry out a comprehensive literature search you should expand your search beyond university catalogs, especially when a subject is very specific and there are only a small number of local results. Another resource available to you is the KOBV Portal, the regional library portal for Berlin and Brandenburg. On a national level, you can use the Karlsruhe Virtual Catalog to search for media on an even broader scale. External media found in these catalogs can usually be ordered using the interlibrary loan service. These media are normally delivered within two weeks. All German-language literature and literature concerning Germany is listed in the German National Library’s catalog.

We also offer a range of courses and workshops for library users who wish to know more about how to research effectively.