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CIST Student Sandbox

IST 605: Small Scale Urban Farming for Beginners

A beginner friendly guide to growing food and raising pets for production in unconventional or small spaces.

🌐 Search Engine Strategies (Google and Beyond)

General Tips:

  • Use quotation marks for exact phrases (e.g., "raise quail indoors").
  • Use a minus sign (-) to exclude terms (e.g., "urban farming -commercial").
  • Use site: to search within a domain (e.g., site:.edu or site:.org) for more reliable sources.
  • Try filetype:pdf to find downloadable guides and white papers (e.g., "aquaponics starter guide filetype:pdf").
  • Use Google Scholar for academic articles: scholar.google.com

 

Advanced Techniques:

  • Use intitle: to search for words in page titles (e.g., intitle:backyard quail).
  • Use related: to find similar websites (e.g., related:theaquaponicsource.com).
  • Use Tools > Time to limit results to recent publications (e.g., past year or custom date range).

🔍 Database & Catalog Search Instructions

WorldCat (Library Catalog Aggregator)

Searches thousands of library catalogs worldwide; great for finding books, DVDs, and other physical resources.

  • Search Tips: Use quotation marks for exact phrases (e.g., "urban farming"). Use filters like format (book, article), year, and subject for more precise results.
  • Advanced Strategies: Combine search terms using AND/OR (e.g., "hydroponics AND apartment").
  • Help Link: WorldCat Help

Academic Search Complete (EBSCOhost)

Broad multidisciplinary coverage; includes scholarly and magazine articles.

  • Search Tips: Use subject filters and limit to "Full Text" or "Peer Reviewed" as needed.
  • Advanced Strategies: Try using wildcards (* for multiple endings, e.g., farm* to get farm, farming, farmers).
  • Help Link: EBSCOhost Help

GreenFILE

Focused on environmental studies; covers topics like sustainable agriculture, conservation, and public policy.

  • Search Tips: Use keywords like "aquaponics," "permaculture," or "sustainability" Filter by document type (e.g., case study, report).
  • Advanced Strategies: Use the subject thesaurus terms suggested in the left sidebar to refine your search.
  • Help Link: GreenFILE Help (EBSCO)

AGRIS (FAO Agricultural Information System)

International resource covering agricultural science and technology with a focus on food security and sustainability.

  • Search Tips: Use terms like “small-scale agriculture” or “urban poultry” for global research.

  • Advanced Strategies: Use filters for language, region, and publication year to find localized or current studies.

  • Help Link: AGRIS Help