Different databases cover different subject areas and offer different search options, but most of them have similar capabilities.  All of the databases listed are available at the computers inside the Learning Resource Center.  If you are off campus, a number of them are available with a login and password (login and passwords are available at the reference desk).  Here are a few things to consider when conducting a search through an online database (EBSCO, Medline, JSTOR, ATLAS and many others):

Keyword and Boolean Searches:

Using keywords and Boolean terms (AND, BUT, OR) to link search terms together is usually the most efficient way to search.  For more information on keywords and Boolean searching, click here.

Basic vs. Advanced Searching:

Some databases automatically open to an advanced search while others will start you with a basic search screen.  Basic searches are generally broad and can be helpful in locating a wide range of materials in various formats.  Advanced searches allow you to set limits so that you can control how many and what kind of results a search produces.  Some databases allow you to set these limits before or after you enter the search (some allow for both) – it just depends on the database.

Here are a few examples of how you can limit a search:

Limiting by Field:

Field searching allows you to control where the database looks for your keywords. 

If you know the title or author, choose the title or author field because it will be the most direct way to find what you are looking for.  Using these fields also helps to narrow the number of items you retrieve.

 For example, if you search for “French Revolution” you receive over 2,500 hits. 

If you search for “French Revolution” in the title field, then the computer only retrieves documents that have those terms in the title.  This search only produces about 600 results (which is still a lot, but you can continue to narrow the results until it’s manageable). 

These are the major field searches typically offered:

Limiting by Format or Document Type:
 

You can also limit a search by choosing what format you want to search for.  For example, if you only want to find articles about Lou Gehrig, then you could limit your search to journal articles.  If you just want to find news articles or obituaries or interviews with Gehrig, then you could limit your search to these formats. 

These are some of the document types offered by databases: 
 

Limiting by Date:
 

Most databases offer a way to limit your search to a certain time period.  You can choose “most current” or designate specific time periods. 

For example, you might search women’s fashion from 1940 – 1950.  This can help you avoid having to search through thousands of articles about women’s fashion throughout history.

Limit to Full-Text or Scholarly Journals:
 

Many databases offer ways to limit to full-text articles only.  You can also ask for articles that come from peer reviewed scholarly journals.  Most professors expect you to find material from these kinds of scholarly sources so this can save you some time.

For example, if you limit a search of Marilyn Monroe to scholarly journals, you won’t receive tabloid articles about her romantic affairs.

Other Options:

There is a surprisingly large number of ways to manipulate a search.  You can do things like combine old searches with new searches, designate how many results appear per page on your screen and choose how you want to save your searches (email them to yourself, print some of them, etc…).  Help tabs can explain some of these tools and so can a librarian.  Remember, research rarely happens quickly.  It’s a process – it takes time to identify, find, evaluate and use information.  The best information sometimes takes a little longer locate.