The key to being a savvy online searcher is to use common search techniques that you can apply to almost any database.
The techniques described in this section will enable you to quickly retrieve relevant information from the thousands of records in a database.
When you search a database and do not get the results you expect, ask for advice. The Library staff is happy to help you find what you need.
Records in library databases are comprised of fields containing specific pieces of bibliographic information. Common fields include:
Limiting your search to specific database fields can yield more precise results.
Truncation:
Truncation, also called stemming, is a technique that broadens your search to include various word endings and spellings.
To use truncation, enter the root of a word and put the truncation symbol at the end. The database will return results that include any ending of that root word.
Examples: child* = child, childs, children, childrens, childhood
genetic* = genetic, genetics, genetically
Truncation symbols may vary by database; common symbols include: *, !, ?, or # (Check the database help screen to find out which symbols are used.)
Wildcards:
Similar to truncation, wildcards substitute a symbol for one letter of a word.
Wildcard symbols may vary by database; common symbols include: *, !, ?, or # (Check the database help screen to find out which symbols are used.)
The three basic Boolean operators are: AND, OR, and NOT.
The Boolean operators allow you:
Use AND in a search to:
Use OR in a search to:
Use NOT in a search to: