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2025 Guidelines On Searching Library Databases

The document provides guidelines for effectively searching library databases, emphasizing the importance of understanding the topic and identifying key search terms. It explains how to create a search statement using Boolean operators to refine search results and offers tips for improving search effectiveness, such as phrase searching and using truncation. Additionally, it advises starting with a few search terms and consulting database help screens for better search strategies.

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6 views2 pages

2025 Guidelines On Searching Library Databases

The document provides guidelines for effectively searching library databases, emphasizing the importance of understanding the topic and identifying key search terms. It explains how to create a search statement using Boolean operators to refine search results and offers tips for improving search effectiveness, such as phrase searching and using truncation. Additionally, it advises starting with a few search terms and consulting database help screens for better search strategies.

Uploaded by

hadebenoluthando81
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Guidelines on Searching Library Databases

Step 1 – Understand your Topic


 Understand the topic you are researching before you start
searching for information.
 Dictionaries and encyclopaedias are a good place to begin:
Dictionaries provide definitions of unfamiliar terms, whilst encyclopaedias give
more detailed explanations and overviews of topics.

Step 2 – Identify Search Terms & create a Search


Statement. Remember to Take Note of Searching Tips
1. Identifying Search Terms

Think about the key concepts and identify possible search


terms/keywords.
Library databases require you to enter keywords into the search box because
entering an entire essay topic/question will not be as effective and may likely
return poor or even no results at all.

The search terms you use are critical in determining the relevance of the
results that you will retrieve.

2. Creating a Search Statement

Construct a search statement using your search


terms and Boolean Operators (Connecting
Words).
A search statement is a combination of keywords that you enter into the
search box of a database.

You can use Boolean operators (connecting words)


between the search terms.
Boolean operators (connecting words) are the words used to connect search
terms and to define the relationships between the search terms. These include
AND, OR and NOT.

AND narrows a search by only returning content that includes both key terms.
OR broadens a search by showing results for either or both concepts that you are
searching and provides more hits on your topic.

NOT narrows a search by eliminating specific aspects of a search eg. Palm NOT
tree

Search statement examples:


"South Africa" AND entrepreneurship

(“Small Business” OR SME) AND “South Africa”

"venture capital" AND "credit lending"

Searching Tips
To make your search more effective, the following techniques can be
used:

 Phrase searching: use quotation marks to keep the two words together
(this is not necessary when using SearchAll)

e.g. “corporate governance”

 Truncation & wildcards: use a *

e.g. leader* will retrieve leader, leaders, leadership, leading etc.

organi*ation will retrieve both organisation and organization

More Tips
 Always start your search using only 2 or 3 search terms and avoid long

phrases as the more terms that you enter, the fewer results you get.

 If your first term doesn't work, try a broader term or synonym.

 Read the HELP screens on each database to clarify how to best to construct

your keyword search. Taking a few moments to read through the "how to

search" instructions may save you hours of time and frustration.

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