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ENG 152: Database Searching

Search Strategies

Try these database search strategies to find relevant information efficiently.

Boolean Operators: AND, OR, NOT

  • AND: for combining unrelated search terms (standardized tests AND anxiety)
  • OR: for searching similar words (standardized tests OR SAT)
  • NOT: for eliminating results (standardized tests NOT college students)

Phrase Searching

  • Use quotation marks to search words as a complete phrase, like “standardized tests”

Keywords

  • Don't search with a question like you might when you use Google. Remember to use specific keywords in the databases. Use the Subject Terms tool in a database like Academic Search Complete to help you identify those specific keywords.
  • Use 2-3 keywords at a time

Limiters

  • Full Text
  • Peer reviewed
  • Date Range
  • Format types (academic journal, newspaper, magazine, opinion, etc.)

Search Multiple Databases at Once

  • Search all EBSCO databases at once: go to EBSCO Databases and click the Select All checkbox.
  • Search all Gale databases at once: go to Gale Power Search.

General Article & eBook Databases

Use our library databases to find full-text articles and eBooks covering a wide range of topics. The databases listed here are a good place to start!

Also refer to the A to Z Databases tab for our full list of databases. There may be one that's more suited to your specific topic. You can sort databases by Subject (like Psychology) and Type (like eBooks).