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Advanced Research Tips
Searching Databases
AND : narrows the search by finding records with both terms
OR : broadens the search by finding records with either term
NOT : narrows the search by finding records with 1st term but not 2nd
Truncation
Use the asterisk (*) to stand in for all word endings
e.g. forest* for forest, forests, forestry, forester, etc.
Searching by Phrase
Place an exact phrase in quotes
Subject Terms
Special indexing terms that may differ from one database to another
Found in each record and also on the left by clicking on “Subjects”
Once subject terms for a database have been identified, can change search fields from “Select a Field” to “SU Subjects” (exact wording can vary by database)
Limit by Year
Can be done on the initial search screen or (in EBSCO databases) by using the slider on the right in the results
Sort by Relevance
The database will re-sort the database and try to bring the most relevant articles to the top of the results list.
