When your search in the online databases,
you will enter a search statement in a find or search box. How you construct this statement will affect your search results considerably.
The first thing you need to do is decide which terms or concepts you want to
search for in the database. Remember, in most cases, you cannot type in a direct
question but need to give the system keywords to look for.
To find the best terms to use for your search, try:
- Brainstorming. Think about terms that describe your topic.
- Using a thesaurus. Many online databases, such as ERIC and PsycInfo have a built-in thesaurus that can help you locate more precise terms for the topic you are researching.
- Look up your topic in a subject encyclopedia. Often you will find additional useful terminology here.
- Looking at other documents or abstracts may also help you identify useful terms.
When you search a database, whether it is one of the library databases or the free Web, it is important to think about how your keywords or terms will be interpreted by the
system. Your search can consist of single words or phrases, or you can combine terms. Single term searches are usually no problem, but if you are searching for a combination of terms, such as in the examples below, it is important to combine those terms effectively.
Boolean logic is a search strategy you can use in most electronic resources, including the Web, to combine terms (keywords or phrases) to help you retrieve the most accurate results. This guide provides a basic understanding of Boolean logic. Once you understand Boolean logic, you can apply it to most search strategies using electronic resources.
There are three basic concepts called "operators" in Boolean logic: AND, OR, NOT
AND between two words indicates to the system (either the search engine or the database search interface) that both words must appear in the results of the search. Using a Boolean AND will narrow down your search (i.e., make it more specific) since both terms must appear in the results. You can use AND to combine 2, 3 or more terms. The more terms you add to your search with AND, the more specific your results will be and the fewer "hits" or results you will have.
non-verbal communication AND young adults
In this search, both of the terms must appear somewhere in the records retrieved. The terms will not necessarily be next to each other or even in the same field, just somewhere within the record.
OR indicates that you want to retrieve one term or the other term, but not necessarily both in the same record. Using the Boolean OR can help you broaden a search to include synonyms or like concepts.
non-verbal communication OR verbal communication
NOT is a less frequently used but still useful Boolean operator. NOT tells the system that you do not want to retrieve
records that include this term.
communication NOT intercultural
In the example above, the search will retrieve records with the word communication but not intercultural. Be careful using
the NOT operator as you may accidentally exclude information that you really wanted. Some databases use the operator AND NOT
instead of NOT.