Discovery Search Tutorial

Databases don't work like Google

If you want to find ALL your search terms, you need to know how databases work. The default search treats all terms you enter in a search box as though they are joined with AND. This is why we always recommend using the Advanced Search.

If you choose to use the Basic Search box you will need to make sure to carefully enter your search terms. 

For example: If you were looking for information on the education of pharmacy students, you would need to enter the following into the search box: "pharmacy student" education.

By placing quotes around the words pharmacy and student, the database will know that you are looking for information specific to the education of pharmacy students and not any other type of students.

Placing phrases or terms in quotes reduces the number of results and provides you with more relevant results. 

Examples: 

• "human resource management" 
• "stress fracture"
• "Benjamin Franklin"

Combine or eliminate terms with AND, OR, NOT 

In databases the terms AND, OR, and NOT are called Boolean operators. These words connect your search terms and allow you to broaden, narrow, and exclude specific terms. These tools are easy to use in the Advanced Search.

Examples: 

AND: Use AND to narrow your search by combining terms, ensuring that all results contain both search terms. 

Example: management AND leadership =  results with both terms.

OR: Use OR to broaden your search by telling the database your results can have EITHER search term. 

Example: “human resources” OR management = results that contain either term. 

NOT: Use NOT to exclude terms so that this term does not appear in your search results.

Example: “human resources” NOT management = results that contain human resources but not management. 

Find alternate spelling and word endings 

Use truncation and wildcards to find alternate spellings and easily search for terms with multiple endings. 

Asterisk wildcard (aka Truncation symbol)

To use the asterisk (*) wildcard: Enter the root of a search term and replace the ending with an *.

Example: type comput* to find the words computer or computing.

The asterisk (*) may also be used between words to match any word.

Example: 'a midsummer * dream' will return results that contain the exact phrase, 'a midsummer night’s dream.'

Question-mark wildcard

To use the ? wildcard: Enter your search terms and replace each unknown character with a ?.

Example: type ne?t to find all records containing neat, nest or next.

Note: Question marks (?) at the end of a sentence will be ignored, as shown below:

• Appendicitis: is surgery the best option? --> Appendicitis: is surgery the best option
• Whose Justice? Which Rationality? --> Whose Justice Which Rationality
• k??? --> k