Database searching tips:
*Consult the database descriptionfor each database to determine the scope and dates of coverageforthe database.
*Consult theonline database“help”screensforsearchinginstructions specific to the database you are searching.
Features that are common to most databases include:
Boolean operators:
ANDCombines terms: all specified terms must be present for the article/citation to be retrieved. This operator narrows a search.
Example: learning communities and universities
ORCreates sets of similar terms (or synonyms). This operator broadens a search.
Example: college students or undergraduates or graduate students
NOT Eliminates a term from the search. (Use with caution.)
Example: animals not horses
Truncation: Most databases use a symbol (for example a question mark “?”, or an asterisk “*”) to allow the truncation of words to retrieve variant word endings: Example: comput?
Retrieves: compute, computer, computing, computational, etc.
Field Searching: Database records (citations) are divided into “fields” such as “author”, “title”, “journal name”, “abstract”, “descriptor/subject heading”, “date”, etc. A search can be limited to a specific field. (Check “help screens” in specific databases for instructions on searching by fields)
Examples: search for an author: au Bok, Derek
Keyword searching: The broadest way to search; searches a word or phrase in all fields (or a set of pre-defined fields for the database)
Example: Depending on the database, a keyword search might search in: author, title, abstract, journal name, publisher and descriptor/subject heading fields for any occurrences of the term.
Descriptors /Subject headings: Many databases used a controlled vocabulary of terms to index and classify articles and items in the database. These terms are often available in the online “Thesaurus”. Searching with descriptors (or subject headings) ensures the items retrieved will have a high degree of relevancy.
Parentheses: (nesting) Group terms in parentheses to specify the order in which they will be combined.If you search for:rabies and (dogs or cats), you will retrieve records that discuss rabies and either dogs or cats, which is what you intended. If you search for:rabies and dogs or cats, you will retrieve records that discuss rabies and dogs, and records that discuss cats, but not necessarily records that discuss rabies and cats.
Limiting: Selected databases allow limiting the search by date of publication, by language, by document type (articles, reviews, etc.) and other features.
Marking records:Most databases allow users to select and “mark” specific citations/articles from a retrieved set.
Displaying records: Most databases allow users to display various forms of the record. “Short view” is often author, title, journal name, date and abstract. “Long view” is often all the fields in the record including “short” view fields plus descriptors/subject headings, language of publication, affiliation of the author(s), etc.
Linking to full-text articles or to the online catalog (InfoKat): Some databases provide links to the full-text of articles and/or links to automatically search the Libraries catalog for journal holdings in the Libraries collection.
Printing, downloading, e-mailing: Most databases provide options for printing and downloading records. Some databases also provide an option for e-mailing records and full-text journal articles.
Current Awareness Services, SDI’s, Alerts: Selected databases offer the option for the user to create a search strategy that can be saved and automatically run every time a database is updated (i.e., when new records are added to the database). The records that match the search will be e-mailed automatically to the user who has set up the SDI (SDI = Selective Dissemination of Information). Some users refer to SDI’s as running “canned searches”.)
9/30/03rev.