These are the most common types of searches you can do in databases: Author search: Use both the author's first and last name to narrow and focus your search.
Note: Be sure to check each database's help section to verify the order in which an author's first and last names should be entered in an author search. Title search: As a general rule, exclude leading articles such as "a," "an," "the," etc. that may be included in the title of the book or journal article. Keyword search: Keyword searching allows you to search for any word/phrase or a combination of words, anywhere they appear in the database. Boolean operators can be used to combine the keywords together in order to broaden or narrow your search. Subject search: Unlike keyword searching which is very broad, searching by subject allows you to focus your search on a particular topic. Depending on the database you are using, search results from a subject search may retrieve a list of subject headings that you can browse. Subject searching may be called "topic search", "descriptors search", or "browse" depending on the database you are using. To get the most from your database searches, use the limiting and advanced searching options that are normally available in each database. If you need additional help with database searching, please stop by the Reference Desk during library hours, IM Library & IT Buddy, or schedule an appointment with a librarian.
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