1. Use the Boolean operators, explained in the chart below, with your search terms or keywords.
- While typing a full or partial sentence into Google or another Internet search engine will usually bring back closely matched results, most databases will not return good results.
- For example, if you were searching for "the health effects of social media on children and teenagers," you will get better results by searching "health effects" AND "social media" AND (children OR teenagers OR adolescents) than by entering the entire phrase.
2. Many databases are searchable by subject.
- Look for links such as "Apply equivalent subjects" or "Look up subjects" or "Subject guide search." Some databases also have online thesauri to browse subjects that correlate with your topic.
3. Don't limit yourself to one database- try another, or try a database with wider subject coverage.
- The same search in one database may yield very different results than another database.
4. Use general or interdisciplinary databases, as these often have the widest range of subject coverage.
- For background information on your topic, try searching Credo Reference, Gale eBooks, or Points of View Reference Center.
- For scholarly journal articles, try searching Academic Search Complete, JSTOR Open Access, or ProQuest Research Library.
- For newspaper articles, try searching Newspaper Source Plus, US Newsstream, or U.S. News Midwestern.
- For streaming videos, try searching Kanopy Streaming Service, Films on Demand, or Nursing Education in Video (MEDCOM).
- For images (artwork, photographs, etc.), try searching AP Newsroom, NP Gallery, or
5. Don't give up!
- Chat with a librarian if you're having any trouble. We can assist you in finding the information you're looking for, help you save time, show you the best search strategies, and recommend other sources.
