Library search and library databases have advanced search, which gives you multiple search boxes instead of just one. This allows you to combine terms in different ways.
This example search will retrieve articles about athletes' pay but not anything that refers to college or university.
Truncation broadens your search results to include various word endings and spellings.
To use truncation, enter the root of a word and put the truncation symbol * at the end. For example:
Truncation symbols may vary by database. Check the database's Help screen.
Wildcards substitute a symbol for one letter of a word. Some, but not all, databases use wildcards.
This is useful if a word is spelled in different ways, but still has the same meaning. For example:
A subject-specific database is useful if Internet searching or Library Search are returning too many irrelevant results. Subject-specific databases allow for refinement and filtering that is more relevant to your subject area.
Subject terms describe what the content is about. Searching with subjects will retrieve fewer results than keyword searching, but they are potentially more relevant.
Each database has its own subject terms. Browse for subjects in the database that match your topic. Look for a button or link that says Subjects, Index, or Thesaurus. Check the Help screens for how to add these to your search.
Another way is to look at the Subject or Descriptor field in a highly relevant result to note the terms used. The subject term should be clickable to run a new search with that subject.
When you find a very relevant article for your topic, it can be helpful to find citing and cited articles, found through forward and backwards searching (see video). These articles may cover similar ground, and they allow you to see how the research develops over time.
