Who is a mastermind?
A mastermind can be a pupil, student, or, for example, an enthusiast of a particular topic. They can navigate the research portal like a top entrepreneur navigates strategies, find the right sources like a treasure-hunter finds a treasure, and master the art of browsing like a Jedi Master. A mastermind has the superpowers to write a compelling and to the point fact-based research paper, thesis, or article. Further more, these useful skills will serve them for life!
How to get mastermind superpowers?
The National Library of Estonia offers you a free on-site or online consultation that can help you become a mastermind with superpowers!
Consultation includes:
- tour in the research portal and free access to an impressive amount of the world’s largest data bases and
- personalised advice on how to find the spot-on sources relevant to your topic.
„The consultant was very helpful and contacted me quickly after she had received my request. She explained everything, answered questions and was very helpful, plus she sent me links by email. I was very content! Pleasant experience!”
Research database
Access international databases through the search portal.
We give you an overview of the research portal and free access to more than 400 research databases where you can find the sources you need to write a top-quality research paper, thesis or article. For example, you’ll find topics ranging from art, music, theatre, culture and history to law, economics, sociology and international relations.
All you need to log in to the search portal is an ID card or mobile ID.
Personalised consultation
Want to find sources for an essay, other school assignment, research paper or article and be a mastermind in your field? We’ll help you find the relevant literature in your area of interest, and teach you how to find the right sources in research databases in the best and fastest way.
„The consultant was very helpful, cheerful and extremely helpful. I didn’t have to feel ashamed of my knowledge (or lack of it). I was put on the right track, which has already made it easier for me to start writing my thesis.”
Tips and tricks for a clever Google-ceptionist
When searching for information outside the search portal of the National Library of Estonia, the following ten tips can save you both time and trouble. Since many search operators are universal, you can use symbols like *, –, OR, () and many others in other search engines and databases as well.
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If you are searching for something specific, use quotation marks to find more accurate results. When you enclose the search phrase in quotation marks, Google will understand that it should search for the entire phrase (rather than individual words within the phrase).
For example, if you search for media literacy in Estonian schools, Google will search for each of these words separately and show you many results. However, if you use quotation marks and search for “media literacy in Estonian schools”, Google will search only for information that exactly matches this phrase.
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There may be instances when you need to search for information on a specific website. Instead of surfing the website or relying on its internal search, which may not exist or yield the desired results, you can turn to Google for help.
For example, if you want to find more information about the information consultation offered by the National Library of Estonia, use Google and search for information consultation site:nlib.ee. Google will then search for information about information consultation only on the website of the National Library of Estonia.
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Asterisks are a valuable tool in Google searches when you are unsure about the exact words you are looking for. A good example of this is looking up song lyrics. Simply replace unknown words with an asterisk and Google will fill in the blanks for you.
For example, if you google “mu * mu * ja rõõm”, Google will show you the lyrics of the Estonian national anthem ‘Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm’. If you are uncertain about the appropriate case or conjugation for a word, you can place an asterisk after the word stem.
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Suppose you have a favourite foreign news portal that you visit to read the news, but after a while you get bored of it and want to find a new website. You can use Google to find similar websites – you just need to know the right ‘formula’ to use in the search engine.
For example, instead of reading news at reuters.com, give Google the command related:reuters.com. In response, the search engine will find similar news portals from which you can choose your new favourite. This is also useful when you need to find something for research.
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Google’s search engine is rather flexible. It knows that you might not find exactly what you are looking for by searching only one or two words. For this reason, you can search multiple phrases at a time.
For example, if you want to find information about writing a thesis, you can ask Google to search for several phrases that could give you the results you want: “writing a thesis” OR “how to write a thesis”. It is important to include the word ‘OR’ between the two phrases as this tells the search engine to find results for both phrases.
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If you enter too many words into the Google search bar, it might give you many different results, but not necessarily the ones you are looking for. Avoid using overly complex search phrases, focusing instead on essential keywords.
For example, rather than searching which libraries are currently open, try searching library open or include the specific city name you want to find information about, such as library open Pärnu.
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You can exclude words from the search by placing a hyphen in front of them. For example, if you want to obtain search results for the name Ivo but wish to exclude results related to Ivo Linna, you can search for Ivo -Linna.
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Search for websites that link to a website that interests you. For example, if you are conducting research and want to get an overview of who has linked to the website of the National Library of Estonia, you can search for link:www.nlib.ee. However, if you do not want to see results from the nlib.ee website itself, you can search for link:www.nlib.ee -site:nlib.ee.
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Suppose you want to search for state budgets from 2015 to 2020. In this case, you can search for the following: state budget 2015..2020. If you want to search exclusively on the website of the Ministry of Finance, type in state budget 2016..2018 site:fin.ee. However, if you do not want results that contain the phrase budget strategy of the state, search for state budget 2016..2018 site:fin.ee -“budget strategy of the state”.
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Suppose you know that the information you are searching for is in PDF format. Very simple! Just add filetype:pdf to the search bar after the word or phrase you are looking for. This method can also be used to search for other file types such as txt, epub, pptx and more! This is especially useful when conducting research or searching for specific content in reports. However, you can also use this approach to search for PowerPoint presentations and the like!
„Such a human and warm attitude from the consultant and at the same time a professional approach to the subject. I also remembered the words to feel free to come back if I forget something or have additional questions. I received the consultation quickly and it was very positive. The technical connection also worked smoothly.”