The University of Vemont Libraries: Bailey/Howe Library

Business Research Assistant

How do I Search for Articles on a Business Topic?

Use one or more of the business databases purchased by UVM Libraries. They are listed on the Libraries' home page (http://library.uvm.edu) under "Find Articles & More" > "Browse by Subject" > "Business."

How do I know which database to use?

The "i" icon next to the database name will tell you what subjects, types of materials, and years are covered by the database. This information will help you choose the most appropriate database(s) for your search.

What if I find an article that sounds good, but the full text of the article is not in the database?

Go to the library catalog (http://voyager.uvm.edu) and search on the title of the journal (not the title of the article). If the title begins with "a," "an," or "the," be sure to omit that word. If the library subscribes to the journal you need--in either print or electronic form--you'll see one or more results. Click on the result(s) to see which years we have and where the journal is located (e.g., Internet, Periodicals Department on the 2nd Floor, Library Research Annex). Using this information, you can locate the volume and issue that contains the article you need.

What should I do if I search a database, and I get too few results?

• Include additional synonyms or related terms for each search concept, using the "or" connector.
  Example: (restaurant or diner or café) and (advertising or publicity) and (cost or price)
• Drop the least important concept (and its synonyms) from your search.
  Example: (restaurant or diner or café) and (advertising or publicity) and (cost or price)
• Use truncation to find variant forms of your search terms. (The truncation symbol varies by database, but it's usually an asterisk. You can learn the symbol for a particular database by clicking the "i" icon next to the database name on the library Web site.)
  Example: clothing and market* ["market*" finds market, markets, marketing, marketer, marketable, marketability]

What if my search yields too many results?

• Add another concept to your search by using the "and" connector. Example: bakeries and retail
• Limit your search to a specific year or range of years, or to a particular type of publication (e.g., peer-reviewed).
• Remove some of the synonyms that you connected with the "or" connector in your search, leaving the most important or specific term to describe each concept. Example: (restaurant or diner or café) and (advertising or publicity)
• Try your search in a different database.

© Trina Magi, University of Vermont Libraries, 2002
Page last updated July 14, 2010