Boolean operators are words or symbols that tell library databases how to search. With Google, you can throw search terms at the search box and trust that Google's search rules and algorithms will take care of things. Library databases need you to type in the search rules along with the topics and subjects you're searching for.
This command tells library databases to search for two or more words in article titles, topics, abstracts, and—in the case of JSTOR and Project MUSE–the full text of articles:
Quotation marks are used to tell databases to search for words in a certain order. This is especially useful for finding titles or specific topics that can't be boiled down to a specific word:
Most searching in library databases can be accomplished with AND and quotation marks. But, sometimes, you might need to use these advanced database searching tools to make more nuanced searches.
This tool tells the database to find at least one of two or three words. This tool is the best way to search for synonyms without having to try an entire series of searches:
(Parentheses)OR is often paired with parentheses so you can use multiple searching tools in the same search. OR on its own can often bring back too many results, so the parentheses help keep the database from bringing up off-topic resources:
Like OR, truncation is a great way to find synonyms. In this case, truncation helps you find different variations of a word so you don't have to type in every version of a word that you want the database to look for:
The * lets the database know that you want all words that start with those letters. So, this search would bring up: communism, communist, communists, etc. Be careful with this one. If you shorten a word too much (comm*), you'll get unexpected results (like commune or communicate).
This tool helps you remove irrelevant results from your search. For example, if you're searching for information about the history of the Berlin Wall but keep seeing results only about the reunification of Germany and the demolition of the Wall, you can tell the database to avoid them:
Chaining (sometimes called citation mining) is a research technique that uses bibliographies and citations to expand your search. Chaining is especially helpful when you're having a hard time finding enough articles on your topic.
To get started:
Chaining usually involves moving backwards along a path of references but, using Google Scholar, we can see who has built on to someone's work since it was published. Underneath each result in Google Scholar, you will see a link that says Cited by [#] if an article, book, or book chapter has been cited since it was published.
To get started:
