Boolean Search:
Using the "operators:" AND, OR, NOT
image credit: Charles Sturt University Library https://libguides.csu.edu.au/hlt506/search_techniques
Truncation:
Using the beloved asterisk *
| Truncation Search | Will find results for |
|---|---|
| psychol* |
psychology, psychologist, psychological, etc |
|
psych* |
everything above but also.. psychiatry, psyche, psychic, psychotic, etc. |
Note problem with stemming too far (psych*)
Phrase vs. Keyword searching:
put it in quotes " "
| Searching for | will find results |
| "medicine man" | MARTÍNEZ, D. (2014). Neither Chief Nor Medicine Man. Studies in American Indian Literatures, 26(1), 29–53. |
| medicine man | PRESTI, R. L. (2010). Anatomy as Epistemology: The Body of Man and the Body of Medicine in Vesalius and his Ancient Sources (Celsus, Galen). Renaissance & Reformation/Renaissance et Reforme, 33(3), 27–60. |
Often the colloquial terms we use to describe something aren't the same as the terms used in academia. Furthermore, sometimes different disciplines will use different terms to describe closely related ideas. Switching up your search terms to a close synonym may yield different results, but an even better method may be to search for background sources to provide you with more fruitful language to use.
This is where Wikipedia can come in handy--not as a source itself, but for topic overviews that help you search. Subject-specific encyclopedias in the library's catalog are also great for this. Try searching for [your search term] AND (encyclopedia OR dictionary OR handbook OR introduction).
Sometimes a complex search using Boolean operators, exact phrases, and truncation can be too narrow. Try removing some of your search terms from your search to see what results come up. This can also help you find the precise terms that a database uses for a given topic, allowing you to switch up your keywords, as described above.
Most databases allow you to narrow your search by selecting specific dates of publication, languages, or publication/document types. If you have checked any of these to limit your search, uncheck some or all of them.
Databases that contain a mix of full-text and abstract-only content, often have a checkbox limit for full-text only. While this may be useful for completing a paper the night before it is due, you will miss opportunities to see other (possibly) available research. Also, while this database doesn't have the full-text online, some other database may have it available--that's what the Full Text Finder is for.
Try adding more search terms to narrow down the results. Adding a second or third concept will result in more relevant results. See the Boolean Operators chart to the left for more information on how to craft an effective search.
Most databases allow you to narrow your search by selecting specific dates of publication, languages, or publication types, as well as search by specific fields, like title or author. Applying these can help narrow your search. For example, searching for a term in only the title field is an excellent way to filter out less relevant sources; you can bet that if a term is used in a title, it's going to play a major role in the source. These kinds of strategic approaches can help make your searches more precise.
Sometimes just choosing the right sorting order will cause the sources you want to rise to the top of the list, or will group like things together. Common options include:
