Library Database Searching

Linda Neyer

Feb. 2013

What are you looking for?

Books Periodicals Gray Lit(monographs) (serials) (gov docs,etc.)

General Interest Special Interest (e.g. Newspapers, (Subject or Discipline Magazines) Specific)

Trade Publ. Scholarly Publ.

-news -peer-reviewed, refereed-secondary -primary research (although also contains

secondary) -also called ‘academic’

journals

NOTE: Format may be print OR electronic

Where can you search for it?

Books Catalogs, Google Books, Library Databases

Periodicals Library Databases, Google Scholar

Gray Lit Catalogs, Library Databases

Boolean logicA search for ‘rock AND roll’ will locate all records containing both the word "rock" and the word "roll.” (same as ‘all’)

A search for ‘rock OR roll’ will locate all records containing either the word "rock" or the word "roll" -- not necessarily both. (same as ‘any’)

A search for rock NOT roll will

locate records containing the

word "rock" but NOT the word

"roll" .

Truncation

To find words that have the same root or ‘trunk’, use truncation.

For example, truncate the rootadolesc* to retrieve:

adolescentadolescentsadolescence, etc.

Questions?