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Social Work: Search planning

Subject guide for social work

Planning how you will conduct your research

  • We recommend using the Search Planning Form (download template Word doc below) to plan and document your research strategy, especially Undergraduate Level 6 and Postgraduate Level 7 students.
  • You will find a worked example of a Search Planning Form in our Literature Reviews guide for Health students here (example form presents midwifery as the topic, but the same principles apply for any topic being researched. Work through the process considering your assessment / final year research project topic).
  • This Search Techniques guide will help you through the search planning process, as you improve your research skills.

Develop your search strategy

Your Search Planning Form helps you with working out the keywords for searching your topic and developing a research question.

If you contact HSS Library Team for advice on your research skills, we may request your completed form (especially health courses).

Designing a database search

Video: Boolean operators - using AND / OR to improve searching