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CI 3338: Social Studies in the Elementary and Middle School - Brooks: Database Search Commands

This course guide was created for Jodi Brooks' CI 3338 (Social Studies in the Elementary and Middle School) class.

Database Search Tips

DATABASE SEARCH TIPS

The following search techniques can help improve your search results.  

Keyword Searching

  • Select the most important concepts of your research question to use as search terms.

Images of sticky notes with tips for key word searching listed including an example research question.

 

Search Commands AND, OR, NOT

  • Adding the search commands AND, OR, NOT to your search string conveys specific commands to the database.

 

       A N D commands database to only return articles that mention all concepts connected by A N D.

 

          O R commands database to return articles that mention either concept connected by O R.

 

 

            Database will not return articles that mention the concept connected by Not.

   

         

If you place quotation marks around a phrase the database will only return articles that contain the exact phrase in the order it is typed.

 

If you place an asterisk at the root of a word the database will return articles containing the term with any possible ending.