Learn to Research

Database searching is different from Google searching.

• Break your topic into key words or phrases
  • Combine with AND to get fewer results (soil AND worms)
  • Combine with OR to get more results (soil OR dirt)
• Try different searches using a different combination of your words and phrases
• As you skim your results look for new words, phrases, and ideas that relate to your topic
• Keep trying! Searching often takes time and requires trying multiple searches in a few different databases
• Ask for help

When searching in databases you can use limits (normally on the left or right of your search results page) to focus on specific formats, publication years, etc.

Searching in the research databases and library catalog can be a bit tricky.

Incorporating the following tools and tips into your searches will help you create efficient searches and find pertinent information more quickly and easily:

Boolean logic: a.k.a. boolean searching (named after George Boole) uses logical words/terms (AND, OR, NOT)  to combine words or terms.  Can either broaden or restrict your search.

AND:  Results must include both terms.

**Example: mountain pine beetle AND colorado. Results must have the words mountain pine beetle and the word Colorado.  Restricts your search.

OR:  Results can include either word.

**Example: mountain pine beetle OR Dendroctonus ponderosae.  Results may have either the word mountain pine beetle OR Dendroctonus ponderosae (when searching for animals, plants, etc. it is always a good idea to include both common names and scientific names).  Broadens your search.

NOT:  Results must have one word but not the other. Only use NOT as a last resort, it can seriously limit your results.

**Example: dolphins NOT Miami.  Results must have the word dolphins but CANNOT include the word Miami.  Restricts your search. (You won't get results about the Miami Dolphins, but you also won't get results about dolphin research near Miami, etc.)

Truncation symbols: typically the asterisk (*) symbol, gives you extra searching options for the endings of words.  Broadens your search.

**Examples:

wol*   searches for wolf, wolves, wolverine

agricultur*  searches for agriculture, agriculturally, agricultural

Wildcard symbols: usually the question mark (?) symbol, replaces a letter or letters in the middle of a word.  Broadens your search.

**Examples:

wom?n  searches for woman or women

col?r  searches for color or colour

Phrase searching: to keep words together as a phrase on a page (rather than separate), use quote marks around your term.  Restricts your search.

**Example: "global warming" (only items where these two words appear side-by-side will be included in the results)

Advanced searching: use parentheses to group and combine various searches and strategies into one larger search.

**Example: If you are interested in articles about the spread of mountain pine beetle and effective ways to control it, search:

(mountain pine beetle OR Dendroctonus ponderosae) AND (control* OR spread)

Author Examples: be careful when you are searching author names within the databases.  Some databases use both the first and last names, while others use last names and initials. 

**Example: if you are searching for articles by Dr. Barry Noon, suggestions for search terms would be:

Noon, Barry
Noon, B
Noon, B* (the * acts as a "wild card" if you do not know the author's middle name/initial)

View advanced search techniques tutorial in new window