Besides using the advanced search function of a database, you can conduct advanced searches by using any of the following strategies:
Some strategies can be combined to create more specific search criteria. Click on each strategy above to learn more.
One of the most common advanced search strategies is using different words and phrases. It is helpful in situations where you may not be getting enough results, cannot find an adequate source, or getting repetitive search results. Using different keywords, phrases, or synonyms related to your research topic will yield different results.
Quotation Marks
You can use quotation marks ("") on a word or group of words so that the database searches exclusively for that series of words and not separately. You may want to use phrases that come directly from your research question, or create your own phrases:
Boolean operators include or exclude words from a search. They are designed to separate and distinguish search terms from one another when they are in multiple search boxes. There are three Boolean operators and can typically be found in a dropdown menu between search boxes:
Wildcards are characters that take the place of a letter or letters in a search term. Some wildcards truncate, or "cut off" endings of a search term so that the search results are more open ended. This allows you to see more results. You can place wildcards anywhere in your search term, and doing so may yield different results. Wildcards are most useful for the following:
Types of Wildcards
When using wildcards in search terms, be careful not to cut off your words too much or too little. Doing this can yield few or irrelevant search results.
The following is an example of proper truncation, using the above example: