Search tips

How do I start?

For most searches - whether you're looking in the catalogue for books on your subject, using a database to find journal articles, or just searching the internet - you need to start by choosing words to search for (your keywords).

• It can help to sum up your topic in a short, clear sentence or question, and pick out the important words.
• Try also to think of other words, some narrower, some broader, some with a similar meaning.
• Don’t forget American versions and alternative spellings, although some databases will do that for you.
• Many databases have lists of subject words (sometimes called indexes, thesauri or browse lists). Look there for more ideas.
• Do a trial search in one of the big databases. If you find an article that looks useful, look at the keywords, subject headings or index terms that come up - usually at the end of the record. Search again using any you haven't tried before. Some databases also have a 'Find similar articles' option.

How do I get better search results?

In big databases you can type almost anything and get results. The difficult bit is making your search as exact as possible, so that you cut out irrelevant material but don’t miss anything important. (Always look for the help screens - they will give you useful tips) Choose more infomration from the list below - return to this page by using the back button on your browser.