Search Tips

Want to run better computer searches? The suggestions on this page will help you to create better searches.

• Identifying Search Terms
• Connecting Search Terms
• Using Truncation
• Using Advanced Search Options

Identifying Search Terms

Computer databases are very literal and will only search for what you explicitly tell them to search for. Whenever you are searching on a computer think about synonyms and closely related terms that you can use to express each of your major concepts. For example:

Concept One	media	television	advertising
Concept 2	self-esteem	self-perception
Concept 3	women	girls	adolescents

• Use your search terms in different cominations and if you are not finding enough try eliminating the least important concept from your search or think of other terms.
• Look at the vocabulary being used in the database to describe your topic and add those terms to your searches.

Connecting Search Terms

Most computer search engines and library databases let you decide how you want to connect your search terms. The three connecting words used are AND, OR, and NOT. Using these terms will help you to effectively broaden or narrow your searches.

Using Truncation

In computer searching, truncation is the process of searching for a root or base form of word that can have multiple endings. Use truncation to:

• Find the single and plural of words in a single search
• Find words that are closely related but have different endings
• Help you out when you are not search how to spell a complete word

To indicate that you want to truncate a word in a search you add a symbol after the stem.
Common truncations symbols are:

• ?   Used in the UVM Library Catalog
• *   Used in most other databases

Examples of truncation in action:

environment*	femin*	symbio*
Finds... environment environments environmental environmentalism environmentalist environmentalists	Finds... feminine femininity feminism feminist feminists	Finds... symbiosis symbiotic

Using Advanced Search Options

Most search engines and library databases offer advanced options that let you further control your search. Advanced options vary from database to database.

Among the options you will frequently see are: