Click the tabs in this box for helpful tips on database searching! There is a helpful handout on keyword searching linked below.
The content in this Database Searching Help and Tips box was adapted from an existing Database Search Tips LibGuide authored by the MIT Libraries and found at http://libguides.mit.edu/database-search
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic License.
To find subject headings for your topic:
Another way to find subject headings:
Subject headings describe the content of each item in a database. Use these headings to find relevant items on the same topic. Searching by subject headings (a.k.a. descriptors) is the most precise way to search article databases.
It is not easy to guess which subject headings are used in a given database. For example, the phone book's Yellow Pages use subject headings. If you look for "Movie Theatres" you will find nothing, as they are listed under the subject heading "Theatres - Movies."
Keyword searching is how you typically search web search engines. Think of important words or phrases and type them in to get results.
Here are some key points about each type of search:
Keywords
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Subjects
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Boolean operators form the basis of mathematical sets and database logic.
Why use Boolean operators?
Use AND in a search to:
The purple triangle in the middle of the Venn diagram below represents the result set for this search. It is a small set using AND, the combination of all three search words.
Be aware: In many, but not all, databases, the AND is implied.
Use OR in a search to:
All three circles represent the result set for this search. It is a big set because any of those words are valid using the OR operator.
Use NOT in a search to:
Databases follow commands you type in and return results based on those commands. Be aware of the logical order in which words are connected when using Boolean operators:
Examples:
Truncation:
Truncation, also called stemming, is a technique that broadens your search to include various word endings and spellings.
Wildcards:
Similar to truncation, wildcards substitute a symbol for one letter of a word.
Records in library databases are comprised of fields containing specific pieces of bibliographic information. Common fields include:
The record belows shows the field names on the left: Author, Title, Source, Standard No., Details, Language, Abstract, Descriptor
Most databases allow you to specify that adjacent words be searched as phrases.
Proximity operators also vary by database, but some common ones include:
w# = with
n# = near
Consult the database Help screens to find out how to search by phrases or to specify proximity.
Stop words are frequently occurring, insignificant words that appear in a database record, article or web page.
Common stop words include:
Why should you care about stop words?
How can you avoid using stop words in your search?
Choose the most significant words that describe your topic and connect them together using Boolean operators or proximity operators.
Search for your terms in specific fields, such as author, title or subject/descriptor.
Watch the Database Detectives from Potomac State College search a popular multi-subject database, EbscoHost's Academic Search Complete. The video can also be accessed through the link here.
Thank you to the Randolph Community College Libraries for their kind permission to use the Searching Databases infographic. The original may be found at - https://libguides.randolph.edu/databasetips
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