Library - Tips for Improving your Searches

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Tips for Improving your Searches

Click here to download the PDF version of this user guide (pdf format: 346 kb, 1 page)

Choose your database Do you need international articles? New Zealand articles? Newspaper and magazine articles? Academic articles? Statistics?
Check in your Library subject guide or read the button beside each database
Use single words, not sentences broadband and advantage* and zealand
(rather than the advantages of using broadband for New Zealand)
Use Search operators AND OR
communication and technology
AND narrows your search and gives fewer results
work or job or employment 
OR broadens your search and gives more results
Use truncation Useful for different endings on words
E.g. child* = children, childhood, child
Note: in most databases use * but in the Library Catalogue use ?
For phrases use "..." Some databases search for your words separately (i.e. they automatically put AND between words)
E.g. cell phone (= cell and phone) vs "cell phone"
USA or NZ spelling? organization in Google Scholar (USA)
organisation in Newztext (NZ)

Limit by date

 Options to choose dates are usually below the main search box
Limit to Scholarly articles (if needed) Most databases contain scholarly /academic /peer reviewed articles. Look for a button to click on, or a box to tick, if you want only these types of articles in your search results

Rank your results by Most Relevant

 Many databases have a "Sort Results" box -- In ProQuest it looks like this:

Use the suggestions offered by the Database

 Big databases may suggest new searches based on the one you have entered.
In ProQuest it looks like this:
Make use of subject headings in articles When you read the abstract of a suitable articles, check to see if there are keyword or subject heading hyperlinks beside it. Clicking on these will lead you to other relevant articles.
Last updated: 11 Feb 2010 9:44am