Resources for First-Gen Students: Tips for Searching

To search the library catalog, you can search for keywords that describe your topic. 

Keyword Searching:

• Start with basic terms: Begin with the most obvious words related to your topic. For example, if your research focuses on the challenges first-generation students face, you might start with "first-generation students."
• Think of synonyms and related terms:Use a thesaurus or online synonym finder to broaden your search terms. For example, if you start with "first-generation students," you could also try "first-gen college students," "non-traditional students," "underrepresented students in higher education," or "first-in-family college students." 
• Consider broader and narrower terms: Move up and down the hierarchy of terms. If "financial aid" is a keyword, also consider broader terms like "college affordability" or narrower terms like "Pell Grant" or "student loans."
• Think of related concepts: What other ideas are connected to your topic? For example, if your topic is "first-generation student success," related concepts might be "mentorship programs," "sense of belonging," "family support," or "cultural capital."
• Consider acronyms and abbreviations: If your topic has a common acronym, include it. For example, "FGS" for "First-Generation Students."
• Think about the type of resource you need: Are you looking for books, articles, videos, or something else? This can influence your keywords (e.g., "documentary" for a film about first-generation college experiences).
• Consider the time period: If your topic is time-sensitive, include relevant years or eras. For example, "first-generation college students 2010-2020."
• Consider the location: If your topic is geographically specific, include place names. For example, "first-generation college students AND Utah."

Advanced Searching:

• Use an asterisk * to find variants on a word: For example, wom*n will search for both woman and women.
• Use quotation marks around exact phrases: "first-generation college student experience" will find results with that exact phrase.
• Combine terms using AND and OR:
  • For example, "first-generation students" AND "financial aid" will narrow your results to those that contain both terms. This is useful for combining key concepts.
  • Another example: "first-generation college students" OR "first-gen students" will broaden your search to include results with either term. This is helpful for combining synonyms or related terms.