Begin Research (Canvas): Find it by Field Searching!

• Subject Headings
• Fields
• Boolean Operators
• Truncation
• Limit & Sort
• Overview
• Quiz

Find it by Field Searching!

Searching for your names or terms in different fields can be a powerful way to find relevant results.  A field is a specific part of a record in a catalog or database. Common fields that can be searched are:

	If you already know the author of a specific book or article, entering their Last Name, First Name in the author field will pull more relevant records than a keyword search. This will ensure all results are books or articles written by the author and not articles about that author or just with that author’s name mentioned anywhere in the record.
	Use title field searching when you know the exact title of a book or article. In the HCC Library catalog you may type only the beginning of a title, but some databases require that the entire title be correct. In the HCC Library catalog you may also use the Advanced Search screen to find words that may appear in titles.
	Use subject field searching when you know the exact subject headings. In the HCC Library catalog you may also use the Advanced Search screen to find words that may appear in subject headings.
	Use the notes field to search for chapter names or authors or words that might appear int eh description of an item. Not all books have detailed note fields, but many do.