Narrow your search (to retrieve fewer references)
- Use Boolean operators AND /Not. For example, glaciers AND climate change; invasive species Not purple loosestrife
- Keep terms together by using quotation marks (e.g. “natural areas”)
- Start with “anywhere” searching and move to “Keyword” if appropriate
- Use limits – language; years of publications; publication type
Broaden your search (to retrieve more references)
- Use Boolean term OR e.g. rivers OR streams
- Use wildcard symbols: (the symbol might vary with the database)
- Truncation. For example, forest* will retrieve forest, forestall, forests, forestation, forestry
- Multi-character wildcard for finding alternate spellings. For example, behav*r will retrieve behavior or behaviour.
- Single-character wildcard for retrieving alternate spelling. A “?” retrieves a single character, while two “??” retrieves 2 characters. For example, wom?n retrieves woman as well as women.
Refining Your Search (to find more RELEVANT results)
- Use NOT to exclude unwanted terms
- Search specific fields (title, abstract, subject/descriptor, etc.)
- Use AND instead of OR
- Use the subjects listed in articles of particular interest, when available, to find other similar articles
- Use other terms and phrases that keep occurring in the articles that you are reading