Your Name: Enter your name
ID: Crowder ID number with CC at the end. (No spaces)
Many databases provide autocite features. Look for a “Cite” link in a “Tools” box on either the right hand side of the screen or the top of the screen on the “Item Record” page. There may also be citation information at the bottom of the item page or webpage.
These sites will generate your citation for you in the documentation style of your choosing. Students are responsible for verifying and correcting potential formating issues.
http://www.easybib.com
http://citationmachine.net
NOTE: Some instructors do not allow the use of citation generators, so you should ask your instructor if they are permitted.
Chicago Manual of Style Quick Guide
NOTE: Whether you get your citation from a database or an online citation generator, you must always check that citation through either a citation manual or a reputable online citation guide.
| and | “and” means you want results with BOTH terms present | Example: apples and oranges brings up only results with both apples and oranges in the result. |
| or | “or” means you want results with EITHER one term OR the other. | Example: apples or oranges brings up results with either apples or oranges. |
| not | “not” means you want results with one word, but not containing another | Example: “Gulf of Mexico” not oil, will bring up results regarding the “Gulf of Mexico”, but exclude all results that include the word “oil” |
Words like “the”, “a”, or “an” are considered nonsense words that, if included in the cataloging of a title, would place that title in a different alphabetical location. For this reason, they are not included and should be excluded from search functions.
Subject Searches are Library of Congress Subject designations. Use of these pre-designated search terms can increase speed and accuracy of searching.
Subject term links are found in the computer record for the item, or may be browsed through the subject search function in the catalog
Boolean searching is using specific words such as “and”, “or”, and “not” to tell the database how your search terms relate to one another. Boolean words can be different in different databases.
| and | “and” means you want results with BOTH terms present | Example: apples and oranges brings up only results with both apples and oranges in the result. |
| or | “or” means you want results with EITHER one term OR the other. | Example: apples or oranges brings up results with either apples or oranges. |
| not | “not” means you want results with one word, but not containing another | Example: “Gulf of Mexico” not oil, will bring up results regarding the “Gulf of Mexico”, but exclude all results that include the word “oil” |
| and | “and” means you want results with BOTH terms present | Example: apples and oranges brings up only results with both apples and oranges in the result. |
| or | “or” means you want results with EITHER one term OR the other. | Example: apples or oranges brings up results with either apples or oranges. |
| not | “not” means you want results with one word, but not containing another | Example: “Gulf of Mexico” not oil, will bring up results regarding the “Gulf of Mexico”, but exclude all results that include the word “oil” |
| and | “and” means you want results with BOTH terms present | Example: apples and oranges brings up only results with both apples and oranges in the result. |
| or | “or” means you want results with EITHER one term OR the other. | Example: apples or oranges brings up results with either apples or oranges. |
| and not | “and not” means you want results with one word, but not containing another | Example: “Gulf of Mexico” and not oil, will bring up results regarding the “Gulf of Mexico”, but exclude all results that include the word “oil” |
The order of operation is the order in which a specific database searches selected boolean functions.
| Auto set is “and” then “not” then “or” | Example: trap and mouse or rat not chemical = ((mouse and trap) or (rat not chemical) |
| Auto set is “not” then “and” then “or” | Example: Example: trap and mouse or rat not chemical =((rat not chemical) or (trap and mouse)) |
| Auto set is “and” then “or” then “not” | Example: trap and mouse or rat not chemical=((trap and mouse)or rat) not chemical |
Truncation symbols are used to more easily focus and broaden searching.
| Multiple characters at the end | * |
Example: comput* will bring up computer, computers, computing |
| One character | ? |
Example: fe?t will bring up feet and feat |
| One or no characters | # |
Example: colo#r will bring up color and colour |
| Multiple characters at the end | * | Example: appl* will bring up apple and apples |
| One character | ? | Example: fe?t will bring up feet and feat |
| One or no characters | ! | Example: colo!r will bring up color and colour |
| Multiple characters at the end | * | Example: appl* will bring up apple and apples |
| One character replacement | ? | Example: fe?t will bring up feet and feat |
Proximity search functions are used to specify distance between and order of search terms.
| N | words appear within a certain number of words (regardless of order) | Example: apple N5 pear = will result in all articles in which apple and pear are 5 words or less apart, regardless of order of appearance |
| W | words apper within a certain number of words (in the order in which they were searched) | Example: apple W5 pear = will result in all articles in which apple appears before pear and the two words are within 5 words. |
| N | words appear within a certain number of words (regardless of order) | Example: apple N5 pear = will result in all articles in which apple and pear are 5 words or less apart, regardless of order of appearance |
| W | words apper within a certain number of words (in the order in which they were searched) | Example: apple W5 pear = will result in all articles in which apple appears before pear and the two words are within 5 words. |
| W/# | Finds articles with words appearing within a number of words (regardless of order) | |
| W/PARA | Finds articles with words appearing within a paragraph | |
| W/DOC | Finds articles with words appearing within the document (excludes abstract and fields) | |
| NOT W/# | Finds articles with words that do not appear with certain number of words. | |
| PRE/# | Finds articles with words that appear within a number of words in the order the words were searched. |