OneSearch allows students to search for all library materials (books,eBooks, journal articles, etc.) using one search box. The system will search across all of our library databases (EBSCO, Gale, etc.) simultaneously and retrieve results that match your search terms. If you are getting back way too many results, try using the Advanced Search option to narrow your search.
1) Start with a general subject or topic
Example: gender roles
2) Narrow your topic and move towards the specific
Example: (General Topic) gender roles--->(Specific Topic) gender stereotypes and their effects on the lives of men and women
3) Turn your Specific Topic into a Research Question
Example: How does gender shape the way that people view themselves and/or the way that other people view them?
4) Come up with Keywords, Phrases and Synonyms on your specific topic
Example:
5) Test out and experiment with your keywords in OneSearch. Use the results to locate other keywords and subject terms that will help narrow your search and increase accuracy.
6) Try revised searches until you're satisfied with the results. Depending on the volume of results, consider narrowing or broadening your topic. If you're not finding enough, try simplifying your search, and remove less critical keywords or concepts.
The terms AND, OR, NOT (known as Boolean Language) are used to make searches more accurate.
Boolean Language is particularly useful when we are getting either too many or too few results from a database search.
The term AND is used to narrow a search and retrieve a more specific set of results.
The term OR is used to broaden a search and retrieve a wider set of results.
Most Library databases have an Advanced Search option (see example below) that allows you to construct searches using Boolean Language
Boolean operators are a complex topic. Please see the video below for clarification.
Library databases contain numerous built-in tools that help us to filter the types of results of we are getting back in our searches. Below are just a few examples of the more commonly used search limiters.
1) Define a date range to limit your search results to a certain time period.
NOTE: The date range you enter will depend on the assignment instructions presented by your professor.
2) Limit your search results to only full text or scholarly/peer-reviewed journal articles
1) Use truncation (*) to broaden your search to cover variations in keywords
Example: Searching the term feminin* will automatically search for feminine, femininity and all other variations of the term
2) Use subject terms to limit your search to materials classified under terms provided by the database
Example: Selecting the term punk rock music in EBSCOhost will ensure that I will retrieve all of the articles from the database that are classified under this term.
