Master these 5 tips and you too can be an Expert.

1) Start with the right DATABASE (db).

Sounds basic, but if you are looking for articles on Hamlet, donít search GeoRef.  Read the db description before you search.

2) Focus your search on words in specific FIELDS in the db record.

Learn how to use fields to search for keywords. This is referred to as precision searching.  Each record in a database consists of a set of specific fields. Each field contains specific information and that info is searchable using the appropriate field name. A search that looks for keywords in the subject or descriptor fields retrieves only those records in which the keyword is a major focus. Most dbs use "controlled vocabulary" in subject fields. The Coe Library Catalog uses the Library of Congress Subject Headings in its subject fields.  For more information, Use db HELP.

3) Use LIMIT to weed out less-than-useful records.

Find out how to limit your search to a range of years, English language records, journal articles, etc. This again gives you a more precise set of records to look through.  For more information, Use db HELP.

4) Combine search words by using OPERATORS. 

Operators are words (AND, OR, NOT, WITH, NEAR) and symbols < ( ), +, -, "  " > that affect the results of your search. These are the famous BOOLEAN OPERATORS named for George Boole, a specialist in mathematical logic. Using these words or symbols will affect the results of your searches in specific ways.  AND, OR, NOT will expand or restrict your search results.  WITH and NEAR are called proximity or adjacency operators because they specify the closeness of search words to each other. The search "chick with peas" will retrieve only those records in which the words "chick" and "peas" occur next to each other.  Using PARENTHESES specifies the order in which multiple words are searched by a computer. The search "onions and (peas or beans)" would be carried out in the following order: (peas or beans) would be processed first; that set would then be combined with onions. The usual order without the parentheses would be left to right.  You can do phrase searching in some dbs by surrounding a phrase with quotation marks.  Augggghhhh: Enough with Operators !!!!!!!!!! Use db HELP.

5) Use TRUNCATION to expand your search.

Truncate (or shorten) keywords to search for various forms of a word.  Each database you search uses a symbol to indicate truncation. Find out what that symbol is so you can quickly search for plurals and other forms of your keyword.  But be careful.  Three letters or less do not usually constitute a useful word root!  Pea is the word root for peas - and peace, peach, peak, peal, peanut, pear, pearl, peas, peasant and peat.  Use a dictionary AND db HELP.