Putting AND, OR, or NOT between search terms narrows or broadens results, as shown below. These are called Boolean operators. Remember to use them as you search.
Tips for Searching Databases
Identify the keyword elements of your research question.
Try various keyword combinations. Ex: India AND culture.
Search only a few words at a time. The database looks for each word you enter. This is why complete sentences don't work well.
Grab subject headings from the best results of your first searches OR click on subject headings within search results to see more results. Keep in mind, this will take you away from your original search results.
Search by combinations of subject words and keywords in the advanced search screen. When using subject headings, be sure to change the dropdown menu of your search box to “subject” for those terms.
Use the asterisk (star) key for truncation. Ex: parent* will find articles containing the words “parent,” and “parenting.”
Use control +F to find words within articles—look for words related to your research question. Use these as new search terms.
Look at the Reference lists at the end of the most promising scholarly articles you find. If an article looks good, search by specific article title to see if the database you are using owns a full-text copy of that article.
