Once you have a list of possible search terms, you need to figure out the best way to combine the terms to develop the most effective search strategy that will get you to the most appropriate articles as quickly as possible.
- Search for words as phrases by enclosing them in quotation marks
- Examples:
"classroom management"
"genetic engineering"
- Narrow a search by using AND
This command tells the database that you only want to see articles that contain all of the words somewhere in the title, abstract, or subjects of the article's record
- Example:
communication
AND
cross-cultural
AND
workplace
AND
improve
- Narrow a search by using NOT
- Example:
vikings
NOT
football
- Broaden a search by using OR
This command tells the database that you would like to see articles that contain any of the words somewhere in the title, abstract, or subjects of the article's record
- Example:
communication OR conversation OR correspondence
- Broaden a search by using Truncation/Wildcards
This technique allows you to retrieve different forms of a word
- Examples:
ethic* = ethic, ethics, ethical, ethically
teen* = teen, teens, teenager, teenagers
wom*n = woman, women
- Combine the various strategies:
communicat* OR convers* OR correspond*
AND
cross-cultural OR intercultural
AND
workplace OR "work environment
