Search Strategy Tool Dictionary

This is by no means an exhausted list of all of the library tools and searching terms you might have questions about. Another resource to consult is the Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science.

Boolean operators:
a method that allows the user to combine words or phrases in logical ways when searching an online catalog or library database. These operators include, AND, OR, and NOT.
AND:
use this tool to narrow your search. When you search two or more terms joined by AND, you will only retrieve results that include all of the words or phrases you've listed.
OR:
this tool helps you to expand your search by use of synonyms and related terms.
NOT:
use this tool when you want to exclude something from your search.
order of operations:
NOT operations are considered by the system first, then AND, and finally OR.
parentheses:
parentheses allow you to determine how your search statement will be interpreted by the system you are searching. by using parentheses, you can prioritize certain phrases of your search.
Controlled vocabulary:
these are the terms that the catalogers use when they assign subject headings to the records in the database. Sometimes, you may notice see or use notes when performing a search. this means that these terms are the ones that have been assigned to the records you are searching for.
Explode:
a search command that automatically creates a search statement using the Boolean operator OR between a subject heading and all of the narrower headings beneath it.
False drops:
this is when a record that you have retrieved in a search is unrelated to the concept you are looking for, but included the words you searched for. this often happens due to the word order of the search.
Field searching:
this allows the user to specify the relationship between the keyword or subject searched and its function, such as author, title, or publisher.
Limits:
using limiters, the user can restrict their search results.
Peer reviewed:
journals that have been evaluated by subject experts to assess the originality of the work and quality of research.
Full text:
indicates whether or not the database subscription includes a link to the complete text of an article.
Publication type:
allows the user to specify which type of publication the user is searching for (i.e. book, journal, article).
Date:
establishes a date range for the search to provide more relevant results for the user.
Language:
permits the user to indicate which languages the user wants to retrieve materials on.
Pearl growing:
beginning with a simple search, reviewing the results, finding a relevant source, and reconstructing your search based upon that item to find more like it.
Phrase searching:
looking for a multiword concept or topic.
Precision:
retrieving results that are highly relevant.
Proximity searching:
this tool allows the user to specify how close one term is to another term that you are looking for.
Near:
these terms can be in any order, but the terms must be found zero to (n) words apart from each other in the record in order to be retrieved.
Within:
these terms need to appear within (n) words of each other in the record to be retrieved.
Recall:
retrieving as many results as possible.
Stop words:
these are words that systems that are usually not indexed by the database. when the user includes them in the search statement, the database often overlooks them when conducting the search.
Thesaurus:
some databases include a thesaurus tool which permits a user to search for their term and find the related terms using the controlled vocabulary that the database searches for. this can increase the precision of your search results.
Truncation:
extends your search to include as many variations on a word as possible without having to enter each one into the search query.
Wildcards:
a symbol that can be used in place of letters to expand your search.

Recognizing and incorporating search tools into your search:

Examples of searching tools
Tool Example
Boolean operators  
AND psychotherapy AND adults
OR eschatology OR end times
NOT health science NOT wellness
parentheses biotechnology NOT (ethics OR bioethics)
Pearl growing humanities AND higher education (browse results for additional subjects or terms and revise search)
Phrase searching latch key children
Proximity searching  
Near terrorism N3 america (results may place either term first)
Within bilingual W5 education (results will only include hits with the first term listed first)
Stop words i.e. an, by, for, from, of, the, to, with
Truncation socio* (retrieves sociology, sociological, sociopath, etc.)
Wildcards wom*n (retrieves woman, women, womyn)
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