The library features over 200 databases to help you find different type of articles. When using databases look for the following format filters:
A keyword is a term used to perform a search using natural language. A keyword search will search your terms in the entire record of that item (the title, author, abstract, general description, and subjects). Keyword searches generally return more results.
All databases use the keyword search as the default; if you want to search by subject terms, your need to indicate so in the search field.
A subject term or subject heading is a term selected by indexers or catalogers as a predetermined item description. In other words, a person has looked at the book or article and assigned specific subjects that represent the main topics in that book or article. Therefore a subject term search will only retrieve books or articles assigned to that particular term (similar to what hashtags do). You can find subjects relevant to your topic by looking at the record of the item. A subject search is more relevant and specific than a keyword search.
Build complex searches by choosing the Advanced Search option within databases and use Boolean operators. Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) are commands that connect two or more terms together.
Use truncation, wildcards, and quotations to make your search more comprehensive.
All databases will allow you to limit your search in various ways, filtering out the sources you don't want. Some of the most common limiters/filters are:
If you aren't given limiting options on the basic search screen, try clicking on the "Advanced Search" link. If you start your search without adding limiters, some databases, like EBSCOhost and ProQuest, allow you to apply limiters from your results screen. The more limiters you use, the fewer results you will get.
Additionally, all databases have sets of searchable fields that enable you to search within a specific section of a record. Most common search field include:
Some databases have Field Codes such as the EBSCO databases to search within a specific section of the record. The field code is represented in a two-character abbreviation when inserted into the query. When using field searchers, be sure that the term you're using is on the list of acceptable terms for that field. Some fields use like Subject Terms are pre-populated lists of terms from a thesaurus.