This module covers searches using Boolean terms and combinations of them, and which would produce more or fewer results. 

Search Strategies

When searching databases or the catalog for material, some strategies can be employed to facilitate your search to enable you to find the most relevant sources.

The Library Catalog

The Library Catalog is a great place to start if you want to see what the library has. For a basic search, navigate to the DMU library home page at https://library.divinemercy.edu (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.) and enter items in the search box. 

Deciding Key Terms

Deciding key terms is an important part of searching. Search terms can be used by a thesaurus, such as in the APA Thesaurus, to help you find the best terms. Try to identify the main concepts beyond your question and look for the terms that best fit. Looking in other research and articles will also guide you to the terminology that is used. 

For example, suppose you want to look for therapy for adolescents with post-traumatic stress disorder. The main concepts would be "therapy", and "adolescents" or "adolescence" and "trauma" or PTSD" or "post-traumatic stress disorder".

More on Thesaurus Use

One of the best way to find results is to use the proper terms under which the information is organized using a Thesaurus. One can be used to identify the best terms to search for a particular topic.

For example, under the APA PsycNET database, one can search the APA thesaurus to find particular terms under which resources are organized. Whereas one may not get many hits with one term, if the thesaurus is used, more hits might be found under a different but similar term. 

The Basic Search &, Boolean Structure and Searching, and Variations of Search Terms

• Key words or phrases can be entered in here. If you want to search for a phrase, include it in quotation marks.
• If you would like to search for a word anywhere in the title, you can search for variations in term endings using the * symbol.
• For example, spirit* would search for spirituality, spiritism, or spiritual.
• If you want to search for variations in terms with one letter, the # sign can be used. For example, wom#n can search for woman or women.
• If you want to search for variations of more than one letter in a term, the ? can be used. Put a number after if you know how many characters should be replaced. For example, bu?2er can be burner, or butler.
• Suppose you want to search more precisely. Use parentheses such as dog (Walking or grooming or feeding).
• If you want to search for two terms together, you can use AND to connect them. Use OR if you want to search for one term or another, and use NOT if you want to search for something to the exclusion of something else.

Other Things to Consider

Using AND produces all the records together (that is, including all the search terms together only). You can limit your search by using the NOT Boolean term. OR produces one or the other term, or both. OR is also used when the terms is synonymous and it does not matter which of the terms is found in the record.

The Advanced Search

The advanced search is an easier way for you to incorporate some of these strategies and also to specify what you want to search for. Start by a basic search, and then click the advanced search once the WorldCat page opens up. 

Differences in Databases

Each database has different rules for searching, but they can be similar. Check the help or the search rules for the databases if you are interested in using the search techniques for a particular database.

Facets/Filters

After you create your initial search, you can filter your search results, or expand them, based on certain things such as year, whether Divine Mercy University has access to it, format, etc. These can be applied using the options on the left.