Search by keywords/small phrases and use Boolean searching.
AND: "physical activity" AND adult*
OR: women OR women OR female*
Use "quotation marks" to search phrases, e.g., "evidence based"
Consider truncation. The symbol used is usually *. ATHLET* will retrieve: athlete, athletics, athletic, etc.
Use (parentheses) to group or prioritize your search terms
(woman OR women OR female*) AND "physical activity" retrieves articles about physical activity in combination with one of the words for the female gender
Limit search results by Date and Peer-Reviewed journals.
Check Subject terms to see if there are any synonym terms to consider.
You need to use keywords when searching for materials in library databases. Typing a whole question into a database search box will not yield as many useful results. As you search, keep track of different terms authors use when talking about your topic. Adding these to your search strategy will likely help you find more useful sources.
Most databases use what is called Boolean logic. This is a way to combine your keywords to make your searches more efficient. Boolean operators include AND (narrows your search), OR (broadens your search), and NOT (excludes terms to narrow further).
This short video gives an overview of the best way to search in a database:
Video Length: 1:28
Used with permission from the Ronald Williams Library at Northeastern Illinois University.
The Search Strategy Builder is a tool designed to teach you how to create a search string using Boolean logic. While it is not a database and is not designed to input a search, you should be able to cut and paste the results into most databases' search boxes.
The Search Strategy Builder was developed by the University of Arizona Libraries and is used under a Creative Commons License.
If you come across a citation to an article and you'd like to track down its full text, follow the steps below:
Search for the article in WorldCat Discovery (WCD)
1. When searching for the full text of an article, enter the title of an article in WCD.
Search for the periodical in Journal Finder (JF)
2. If you're unable to locate the article full text by searching the article title in WCD, next try searching the journal title in JF, which is a searchable list of print/online journals accessible through the library.
Request the article through Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
3. If the Library does not have print/online access to an article you need, request a copy of the article via ILL. To increase the chance of receiving the article and quickly, fill out as much of the form as possible.
The example below shows that Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport is accessible online in several databases. The entry also shows coverage dates to indicate which years are accessible.
