Searching these resources is different from searching the Internet. K-State Libraries pays to subscribe to the databases; they are not found in an online search. Their content is collected and maintained by various companies and organizations.
- Keywords: Before you begin, break your topic into key concepts; think about the terminology/keywords you wish to search for and possible synonyms.
-
Subject Headings: Look for "Subject Headings," "Subjects," "Keywords" or "Descriptors" to help narrow your search. Different databases may recognize different terms. As you find these tags, construct your search using the language/terminology of that database.
- Truncation: Use "truncation" (an asterisk at end of word stem): teen* searches for "teen", "teens", "teenager", "teenagers", etc. by adding all possible endings.
- Wildcard: Use "wildcard" (a quotation mark inside a word): wom?n searches for "women" or "woman".
- Help: When you're in a database, look for its “Help” section.
Advanced Search: Look for the "Guided Search" or "Advanced Search" options so that you have more search boxes.
- AND = both concepts must be present, helps limit the search (Ex. stormwater AND management)
- OR = great for synonyms (Ex. "universal design" OR "inclusive design")
- NOT = exclude an unrelated term (Ex. "nigel coates" NOT "book review")
Get It: No full text available? Click on the "Get It" button to search for the article in our database subscriptions. If it's not there, it will look for a print copy available on campus or through Interlibrary Loan.
