Put Your Topic on a Spectrum

In the catalog, it can be unpredictable whether a narrow or broad search will work better for your topic. Therefore it is helpful to keep the whole context of your topic in mind, from narrow to broad.

Here's an example.

Chances are that many books about civil disobedience and the civil rights movement in the United States will have sections devoted to Rosa Parks, but because the catalog does not search the whole book, you would miss these relevant materials if you used her name in your search.

By putting your topic into a broader context, you may find other possibilities for your searching. Try this trick for each of the elements of your topic.