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Using Keywords: Broaden or Narrow Search

Multiple words are searched in the order entered, i.e. together as one phrase

Example:

drug policy finds the exact phrase "drug policy" and retrieves much less than a search on "drug and policy"

BROADENING A SEARCH

• To increase the number of citations retrieved, use "or" between similar words.

Example:

native or indigenous or aboriginal – (finds citations with any of those words)

• Another method is to wildcard, or truncate the term by using an asterisk (*).

Example:

comput* -- (finds computer, computing, etc.)

verb? -- (finds words that match with up to one more character, such as verb, verbe, verbs)

NARROWING A SEARCH

• To focus your search when you do not have an exact phrase, enter words for each concept of your topic connected by the word AND which will be read as a Boolean operator

Example:

japan and china and art -- (finds citations where all three words appear in any of the fields used for searching)

• Use parentheses to group words when using when using multiple operators

Example:

(gold or silver) and peru*

• Limit the search by date or material type.

Additional instructions are provided on the Advanced Searching help screen once you have started the search.

Return to Help Menu Return to Search

Last updated February 22, 2005.