LIFE212-Introductory Cell Biology Laboratory (Safadi-Chamberlain)

LIFE 212 Introductory Cell Biology

Searching Library Databases

1.  Think about your search strategy.  This will save you time in the long run.  Databases look for words and phrases, not concepts - your search is making assumptions about what words MUST appear in articles about your topic.  Articles might be about your topic but not contain your words, so you have to logically anticipate what you may be missing and try different searches. Here are some sample search terms:

Fluorescence microscopy project:

  • "fluorescence microscopy"
  • microscopy
  • cell structure
  • cytoskeleton
  • actin
  • microtubule*
  • fluorophore*
  • tubulin
  • nucleus/nuclei
  • nocodazole
  • "actin filaments"
  • phalloidin
  • immunohystochemistry
  • "Latrunculin A or B"
  • cytoskeletal structure
  • fluorescent stains
  • fluorescent dyes

 

2.  Use Boolean logic to join your search terms.​ (These work in most databases.)  Make sure you put parentheses () around OR statements so it knows what operation to do first.

Search Term

What it does

Example

AND

  • Both terms must be included in the record. 
  • Narrows the search. 
  • Will retrieve fewer results.
enzymes
AND
kinetics

OR

  • Either term must be included in the record. 
  • Broadens the search. 
  • Will retrieve more results.
enzymes
OR
kinetics

NOT

  • Excludes the term following “not.” 
  • Should be used carefully, since it is possible to accidentally eliminate relevant hits. (Think about the search Miami NOT Dolphins - you'll remove results about the sports team, but also remove results about the mammals living near Miami.)
enzymes
NOT
kinetics

*

Placing an asterisk at the end of a word will find all variations of the word.  

This is called a truncator or wildcard.

enzym* retrieves:

  • enzyme
  • enzymes
  • enzymatic... 

 

" "

To search for a phrase or title, put the words in quotes.

"enzyme kinetics"

Search Strategy Tutorials

Explore these quick tutorials to learn various search tips.

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