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Tips for Database Searching

ABC-Clio

America: History & Life; Historical Abstracts

Searching default

System assumes AND between words when words are entered without a Boolean or proximity operator.
Example: seneca falls finds records that have both the words seneca and falls in them, not just records which have the phrase "seneca falls".
Boolean and
or
not
Truncation ? looks for one additional character
Example: patriot? finds patriot and patriots but not patriotic or patriotism

* looks for any number of characters following word stem
Example: patriot* finds patriot, patriots, patriotic, patriotism, etc.
Proximity Use quotation marks " " to look for an exact phrase, with the second word immediately following the first word
Example: "great wall"


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Bibliography of Asian Studies

Searching default

System assumes words are adjacent to each other in the order entered.
Example: silk kimono finds records that have the exact phrase "silk kimono".
Boolean and
or
not
Truncation System automatically truncates words to the right, looking for any form of word endings.
Example: child finds child, childs, children, childhood .
Proximity None


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Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA)

Aquatic Sciences & Fisheries Abstracts; ARTbibliographies Modern; Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals; Design and Applied Arts Index (DAAI); Oceanic Abstracts; Linquistics & Language Behavior Abstracts (LLBA); PAIS (Public Affairs Information System);Sociological Abstracts; Worldwide Political Science Abstracts; Zoological Record

Searching default

System assumes words are adjacent to each other in the order entered.
Example: marine mammals finds records that have the exact phrase "marine mammals".
Boolean and
or
not
Truncation * looks for any number of characters following word stem
Example: fish* finds fish, fishes, fishing, fishery, fisheries, etc.
Proximity None


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Chadwyck Healey:
ArchivesUSA; International Index to Black Periodicals

Searching default

System assumes words are adjacent to each other in the order entered.
Example: lilith fair finds records that have the exact phrase "lilith fair".
Boolean and
or
not
Truncation * looks for any number of characters following word stem
Example: masse* finds masse, massed, massenburg, massenet, massenets, masses, massey, etc
Proximity near - words next to each other, in any order
Example: jazz near blues

near.# - (#=number) words within # words of each other, in any order; must include period
Example: scores near.3 bassoon

fby.# - (#=number), fby means "followed by", e.g.: the second word follows within # words of first word, in specified order; must include period
Example: piano fby.4 major


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CIOS

ComAbstracts

Searching default

System assumes words are adjacent to each other in the order entered.
Example: free speech finds records that have the exact phrase "free speech".
Boolean and
or
not
Truncation

* looks for any number of characters following word stem
Example: communicat* finds communicate, communicates, communicating, communication, etc.

Use ~ for conflation: post~ will fing "posts" and "posted", but not "post mortem" or "postulate".
Proximity Followed by: use ellipse ... , first term must appear before second term
Example: positive ... communication

Near -- Place a number between forward slashes, /#/ to indicate that the search terms must be located within so many words of each other.
Example: organizational /10/ network finds items that contain the word "organizational" within ten words of the word "network"




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EBSCO

Academic Search Premier; Agricola; Alt HealthWatch; ATLA Religion; Bibliography of Native North Americans; Business Source Premier; Computer Source; Fuente Academica; GeoRef; Health Source Plus: Consumer Edition; Health Source Plus: Nursing/Academic Edition; Inspec; Legal Connection; Magazines Fulltext; MasterFile Premier; Medic Latina; Military and Government Collection; MLA International Bibiography;Newspaper Source; Professional Development Collection; Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection; Regional Business News; Vocational & Career Collection

Searching default

System assumes words are adjacent to each other in the order entered.
Example: indigo batik finds records that have the exact phrase "indigo batik".

Citations are retrieved only if the words you enter appear in the subject headings, article title, or abstract of an article. To find the words you enter anywhere in the article, mark the box before "Search within full text articles" before clicking on the Search button.
Boolean and
or
not
Truncation ? looks for one additional character
Example: book? finds book and books but not bookstore or bookmobile
* looks for any number of characters following word stem
Example: book* finds book, books, bookstore, bookmobile, bookkeeper, etc.
Proximity N# (# = a number) will find the words if they are within # words of one another regardless of the order in which they appear.

W# (# = a number) will find the words if they are within # words of each other and in the order in which you entered them.


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Eureka

Anthropological Literature; BHA (Bibliography of the History of Art); Chicano Database; Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals; Russian Academy of Sciences Bibliography

Searching default

System assumes AND between words when words are entered without a Boolean operator.
Example: southwest indians finds records that have both the words southwest and indians in them, not just records which have the phrase "southwest indians".
Boolean: available only in advanced search
and
or
not
Truncation ? looks for any number of characters following word stem
Example: paint? finds paint, painting, painter, painters, etc.
Proximity Enclose words in quotation marks " " to look for an exact phrase
Example: "going native"


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FirstSearch

Alternative Press Index; Arts and Humanities Search; Art Abstacts; ArticleFirst; Books in Print; Contemporary Women's Issues (CWI); Dissertation Abstracts; ECO: Electronic Collections Online; EconLit; Education Abstracts; ERIC; ; GeoBase; GPO Monthly Catalog; Medline; PapersFirst; Proceedings; UnionLists; World Almanac; Worldcat

Searching default

System assumes AND between words when words are entered without a Boolean or proximity operator.
Example: water pollution finds records that have both the words water and pollution in them, not just records which have the phrase "water pollution".
Boolean and
or
not
Truncation + used for plurals, both -s and -es
Example: friend+ finds friend and friends but not friendly or friendship
* looks for any number of characters following word stem
Example: psychi* finds psychiatric, psychiatrist, psychiatry, pscyhic , etc.
Proximity Enclose words in quotation marks " " to look for an exact phrase
Example: "feminist communication"

w# (# = number) words must appear within # words of each other. Words must appear in order entered.
Example: best w friends or abstract w3 art

n# (# = number) words must appear within #words of each other. Word order is not specified.
Example: deep n3 ecology


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HAPI: (Hispanic American Periodicals Index)

Searching default

System assumes AND between words in keyword searches.
Example: mayan calendar finds records that have both the words mayan and calendar in them, not just records which have the phrase "mayan calendar".
Boolean and
other Booleans not available.
Truncation System automatically retrieves all suffixes.
Example: argentin finds argentina, argentine, argentinian, etc.
Proximity None
Title searching will automatically search Spanish language terms.
Example: horse finds titles that contain the words horse, cavalo, cheval, etc. in the title.


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ingenta (formerly UnCover)

Searching default

System assumes AND between words when words are entered without a Boolean operator.
Example: extreme sports finds records that have both the words extreme and sports in them, not just records which have the phrase "extreme sports".
Boolean and
or
not
Truncation * looks for any number of characters following word stem
Example: reptil *  finds reptile, reptilia, reptiles, reptilian, etc
Proximity Use quotation marks " " to look for an exact phrase, with the second word immediately following the first word.
Example: "great wall"


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Latin America Data Base

Searching default

System assumes AND between words when words are entered without a Boolean or proximity operator.
Example: maquiladora workers finds records that have both the words maquiladora and workers in them, not just records which have the phrase "maquiladora workers".
Boolean and
or
not
Truncation None
Proximity Use quotation marks " " to look for an exact phrase, with the second word immediately following the first word
Example: "social welfare"


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Lexis-Nexis

Lexis-Nexis: Academic; Lexis-Nexis: Congressional; Lexis-Nexis: Statistical; Government Periodicals Index

Searching default

System assumes words are adjacent to each other in the order entered.
Example: presidential campaign finds records that have the exact phrase "presidential campaign".
Boolean and
or
and not
Truncation * use to replace a single character either within a word or at the end of a word
Example: wom*n finds woman or woman

! looks for any number of characters following word stem
Example: litigat* finds litigate, litigator, litigation, litigating, etc.
Proximity pre/# (# = number) First word entered must precede second word. Must include / (slash).
Example: balance pre/4 budget

w/# (w=within; #=number) words within # words of each other. Words order is not specified. Must include / (slash).
Example: taiwan w/2 earthquake


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MathSciNet

Searching default

System assumes words are adjacent to each other in the order entered.
Example: quadratic equation finds records that have the exact phrase "quadratic equation"
Boolean and
or
not
Truncation * looks for any number of characters following word stem
Example: equat* finds equation, equations, equate, equating, etc
Proximity adj# (#=number) words within # words of each other. Words must appear in order entered.
Example: fuzzy adj3 logic finds records in which fuzzy is up to three words before logic.

with looks for words in same field, word order is not specified.
Example: fuzzy with prime finds records with fuzzy (weakly) prime


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Music Index

Searching default

System assumes AND between words when words are entered without a Boolean or proximity operator.
Example: horn concertos finds records that have both the words horn and concertos in them, not just records which have the phrase "horn concertos".
Boolean and
or
not
Truncation ? looks for a single character

Example: viola? finds viola, violas

$ looks for any number of characters following word stem
Example: sonat$ finds sonata, sonatas, sonatina, sonatensatzform, etc
Proximity Use quotation marks " " to look for an exact phrase, with the second word immediately following the first word
Example: "tejano music"

adj placed between words looks for the first word entered immediately before the second word entered
Example: bass adj accordion

near# words within # words of each other, in any order
Example: shape near note


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NISC:

Left Index; RILM Abstracts of Music Literature; RISM: International Inventory of Musical Scores after 1600; Women's Resources International

Searching default

System assumes AND between words when words are entered without a Boolean or proximity operator.
Example: true womanhood finds records that have both the words true and womanhood in them, not just records which have the phrase "true womanhood".
Boolean and
or
not
Truncation ? looks for one additional character
Example: journal? finds journal and journals but not journalism or journlist

* looks for any number of characters following word stem
Example: femini* finds feminism, feminist, femininity, feminine, etc.
Proximity Use quotation marks " " to look for an exact phrase.
Example: "suffrage movement"

adj# (#=number), words within # words of each other, in the order specified.
Example: cult adj2 true womanhood finds both "cult of true womanhood" and "cult for true womanhood."

near# (#=number) words within # words of each other, in any order
Example: right$ near3 conspiracy finds both "right wing media conspiracy" and "conspiracy to ignore their rights."


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Ovid:

BIOSIS; PsycINFO; Sport Discus

Searching default

System assumes words are adjacent to each other in the order entered.
Example: cognitive style finds records that have the exact phrase "cognitive style".
Boolean and
or
not
Truncation

$ looks for any number of characters following word stem
Example: famil$ finds family, families, familial, etc

Add a number to specify a maximum number of characters:
Example: neighbor$2 finds neighbors and neighborly, but not neighborhood.
Proximity adj# (#=number), adj means "followed by": the second word follows within # words of first word, in order specified.
Example: knockout adj2 gene finds "knockout mouse gene"


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Proquest

Ethnic News Watch; Wall Street Journal

Searching default

System assumes words are adjacent to each other in the order entered, only if 2 words are entered.
Example: oregon trail finds records that have the exact phrase "oregon trail".

3 word queries are searched as words that need to appear near each other.

Use quotation marks to search for exact phrases.
Boolean and
or
and not
Truncation * looks for any number of characters following word stem
Example: chica * finds Chicago, Chicano, etc.
Proximity w/# - (#=number) finds words within # words of each other, in any order. Must include / (slash).
Example: ballot w/3 measure finds both "ballot box measure" and "measure 22 on the ballot."

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Web of Science:
Science Citation Index Expanded, Social Science Citation Index

Searching default

System assumes words are adjacent to each other in the order entered.
Example: genetic engineering finds records that have the exact phrase "genetic engineering".
Boolean and
or
not
Truncation * looks for any number of characters following word stem
Example: masse* finds masse, massed, massenburg, massenet, massenets, masses, massey, etc
Proximity same placed between words looks for the first word in the same sentence as the second word entered

Example: school* w prayer


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WebSPIRS

Bibliography of Native North Americans; FIAF: International Film Archive Database; Philosopher's Index

Searching default

System assumes words are adjacent to each other in the order entered.
Example: colonial literature finds records that have the exact phrase "colonial literature".
Boolean and
or
not
Truncation ? looks for one additional character
Example: patriot ? finds patriot and patriots but not patriotic or patriotism

* looks for any number of characters following word stem
Example: patriot * finds patriot, patriots, patriotic, patriotism, etc.
Proximity with -- words must appear in the same field, such as the title of the article. Either term can appear first.
Example: landscape with geography

Near# -- (# = number) words must appear within # words of each other in the same sentence. Either term can appear first.
Example: haitian near3 novels



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WilsonWeb:
Art Index Retrospective; Biographies Plus Illustrated; Library Literature Readers' Guide Retrospective; Essay and General Literature Index

Searching default

System assumes words are adjacent to each other in the order entered.
Example: movie actress finds records that have the exact phrase "movie actress".

Boolean and
or
not
Truncation * looks for any number of characters following word stem
Example: masse* finds masse, massed, massenburg, massenet, massenets, masses, massey, etc

? looks for one or no characters
Example: m?cdonald finds mcdonald, macdonald
Proximity near placed between two words looks for both words in the same senteence
Example: nobel near winner

with placed between two words looks for both words in the same field
Example: career with movies
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Zentralblatt fur Mathematik

Searching default

System assumes and between words when words are entered without a Boolean or proximity operator.
Example: women mathematicians finds records that have both the words women and mathematicians in them, not just records which have the phrase "women mathematicians".
Boolean and
or
Truncation * looks for any number of characters following word stem
Example: calcul * finds calculate, calculus, calculation, calculating, etc
Proximity Selecting the option "the expression" from the drop down box allows you to search for an exact phrase. Words are retrieved in the exact order specified.
Example: analytic functions

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Explanation of Terminology

Boolean
or broadens a search by finding records which contain any or all of the words entered.

Example: flowers or pansy or sunflower
and narrows a search by finding records which must contain all of the words entered.

Example: art and public
not
and not 		narrows a search by eliminating records which contain the word following not or and not .

Example: internet not web


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Truncation
*
?
!
#
$
+ 		Symbols that allow you to find records that contain variations of a word that begin with the same stem or identical characters. These symbols are sometimes referred to as wildcards . Database producers select which symbol their software uses. Check the tables above to determine which symbol is used for the database you are searching.

Examples:
comput* finds compute computer computing computerize

wom?n finds woman or women

athlet$ finds athlete or athletes or athletic or altheticism


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Proximity
" "
adj
w
pre
near
fby. 		Methods of stating how close a word or set of words should be from the other set/s of words. Sometimes specifies that the words must appear in a specified order. Check the tables above to determine which proximity operators are used for the database you are searching.

Examples:
water w/5 supply finds water supply but not supply of clean water ( water must come before supply )

water near3 supply finds water supply as well as supply of clean water (either word may be first or last; word order does not matter)
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Maintained by: Jon Jablonski, jonjab@uoregon.edu
Last Modified: 01/22/2007