Search Strategy : Citation Pearl Growing

(Competency #6 - Search Strategy)


Pearl Growing Strategy
The citation pearl growing strategy, also known as ‘snowballing’, involves conducting a search and searching for terms/descriptors within the results that can be used in a modified search to improve recall. The terms/descriptors being looked for are also known as pearls.

Database: ERIC

Topic: How to create and distribute online tutorials on computers for patrons?
1. Search is conducted using only the terms identified in my topic: create and distribute, online tutorials, computers, patrons
2. Using the terms bolded above, I retrieved zero results. To improve my recall, I decided to remove “create and distribute” from my SS. “online tutorials, computers, patrons”

By doing this I was able to retrieve one hit:

Blake, L. (2009). On campus or out of town: How publishing online tutorials can help your patrons. Computers in Libraries, 29(4), 11-13,. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2052

Using this article, I searched for pearls within the descriptors:

Library Services, Online Courses, Library Instruction, Reference Services, Instructional Design, Enrichment Activities, Tutorial Programs, Distance Education, Electronic Publishing, Adult Education

3. SS = (online tutorials OR library instruction OR tutorial programs) AND (computers) AND (patrons)

The recall was positive and really improved using the pearls identified from the article obtained from the first search. A total number of 39 articles retrieved. I reviewed the first 10 and was satisfied with them.

Further “pearl-digging” can be done to increase recall and even refine your search to achieve high precision.