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Ethnic Studies Zine Assignment Resource Guide

Library and online resources for creating a zine in Dr. Barba's Ethnic Studies courses.

Here are some tips for searching that work in search engines like Google, as well as the library catalog, OneSearch.

Search with Phrases

If you want to search for an exact phrase, use quotation marks around it. 

  • "Cultural identity" with quotes will retrieve results with that exact phrase. Without quotes, you will get results that have either the word cultural or the word identity - not necessarily both words, and not necessarily both words together.

Add Terms to Narrow Your Search

If you need to filter out results that aren't relevant to your project, try adding more words.

  • Instead of "film reviews," try Latinx film 2020-2024 review
  • Instead of "artist biography," try Mexican American artist biography California
  • Instead of "murals," try Chicano murals Orange County history

Use "OR" to Search with Synonyms

Instead of performing multiple searches using variations of the same concept, save time by doing one search and using the word OR in all caps.

  • Latinx OR Latino OR Hispanic OR Chicano film
  • zine OR fanzine OR DIY magazine
  • mural OR street art OR public art

Filter Out Unwanted Terms

Sometimes your search results will include many web pages or articles that are irrelevant, and that all have the same term or phrase in common. Results containing this common element can be filtered out with the minus sign.

  • Latinx film -Hollywood -mainstream
  • Mexican American art -commercial -gallery
  • zine making -purchase -buy -store

Quickly Find Your Search Terms on a Page

After you click into a result, you can open up a search box in your browser and use it to go directly to specific terms on the page.

  • PC: Use CONTROL + F
  • Mac: Use Command + F

Find Recent Information

Both the library OneSearch interface and Google offer the ability to limit results by publication date.

  • OneSearch: use the filter on the left-hand side of the page called "Publication Date". Enter the year span you want, check the box, and click "Refine". To lock this filter in place even when you change your search terms, click "Remember all filters".
  • Google: On a results page, click "Tools" and then "Any time". You will see options like "Past day," "Past month," "Past year," or you can enter a custom range.
    • Another option with Google is to click the "News" tab that appears on the search results page.

Filter By Domain Name

If you want to view web results that are from a certain domain, such as education, government, military, or non-profits, you can use these search terms to do so. Note - there cannot be any spaces on either side of the colon.

  • site:edu
  • site:gov
  • site:mil
  • site:org

Search By Image

If you find a great image on the web, but the website does not indicate where it's from, you can upload it to Google Images to see where else it appears - hopefully with a source listed.

AI Tools

The problem with using AI tools for research is that they do not reveal where the information comes from. They are also known to "hallucinate," or make up, fake sources. One exception to this is Perplexity AI, which cites each source it used to answer your question. You can then click on the links to evaluate whether they are good for your project.