Advanced Search in Databases
Download this helpful document on Basic Search Tips to learn how to search in databases.
Having trouble finding keywords to search for? Check out this doc on Identifying Keywords.
AVOIDING PLAGIARISM
Having trouble finding keywords to search for? Check out this doc on Identifying Keywords.
AVOIDING PLAGIARISM
Combine or exclude terms
Use the Advanced Search in any database to combine terms together using AND, OR, and BUT. These terms let you use logic to combine concepts to get the most relevant results. Example: "Islam" OR "Muslim" AND "wom*" Truncate to search for variations on a term Using an * lets you search for all variations of a term, including singular and plural, verb and noun, etc. |
Filter by peer-reviewed results
Filter your results by peer-reviewed to only retrieve results that have been reviewed and approved by experts in the field. Search in specific fields Use the drop-downs in Advanced Search to search for terms in a specific field, like the title or body text. |
Become an Expert Googler
Use the following shortcuts to help you search Google like a Pro.
Search social media
Put @ in front of a word to search social media. For example: @twitter. Search for a price Put $ in front of a number. For example: camera $400. Search hashtags Put # in front of a word. For example: #throwbackthursday Exclude words from your search Put - in front of a word you want to leave out. For example, jaguar speed -car Search for an exact match Put a word or phrase inside quotes. For example, "tallest building". Search for wildcards or unknown words Put a * in your word or phrase where you want to leave a placeholder. For example, "largest * in the world." |
Combine searches
Put "OR" between each search query. For example, marathon OR race. Search within a range of numbers Put .. between two numbers. For example, camera $50..$100. See Google’s cached version of a site Put "cache:" in front of the site address. Get details about a site Put "info:" in front of the site address. Search for related sites Put "related:" in front of a web address you already know. For example, related:time.com. Search for a specific site Put "site:" in front of a site or domain. For example, site:youtube.com or site:.gov. |