Welcome! This guide covers the essential skills for searching library databases effectively:
Using search operators (AND, OR, NOT) to build searches
Using filters to narrow and refine your results
Using quotes to specify search phrases
Most academic databases have multiple search fields. This allows you to combine search terms using what are called Boolean operators - connecting words (AND, OR, NOT) that help you expand or narrow your searches for more precise results.
AND tells the database that ALL search terms must appear in every result.
Example: You're researching how social media affects stress in teenagers.
Search: social media AND stress AND teenagers
OR broadens your results by including synonyms or related terms.
Example: Using the same topic, you can add alternative terms:
Search:
(social media OR facebook OR instagram OR tiktok) AND
(stress OR anxiety OR mental health) AND
(teenagers OR teens)
Tip: Many library databases automatically suggest synonyms when you type OR in a search field.
NOT narrows your search by excluding specific terms.
Example: You want articles about social media and teen stress, but want to exclude studies specifically about Youtube.
Search: (social media OR facebook OR instragm OR tiktok) AND (stress OR anxiety OR mental health) AND (teenagers OR teens) NOT youtube
Library databases include filters that help you narrow your search results. Common filters include:
Language - Limit to specific languages
Resource type - Choose articles, books, ebooks, etc.
Peer-reviewed only - Show only scholarly articles
Publication date - Limit to specific years or date ranges
These filters typically appear at the top or on the left side of your search results page.
Most commonly used: Peer-reviewed and publication date filters
Databases treat search terms differently depending on whether you use quotation marks:
Without quotes: mental health
Searches for articles containing both words anywhere
May find: "The mental state of public health workers"
With quotes: "mental health"
Searches for this exact phrase only
Finds: "Mental health services for students"
When to use quotes:
Multi-word concepts: "social media," "climate change"
Proper names: "United Nations," "Harvard University"
Technical phrases: "randomized controlled trial"
When NOT to use quotes:
Single words
When you want variations (college education vs. university education)
Remember, quotes make searches more specific. If you get too few results, you can always remove the quotes.
When beginning research on a new topic, remember that database searching is a trial-and-error exploratory process. As you search, you may find that:
Different search term combinations work better than others
You need to broaden or narrow your topic
There's a gap in the published literature, requiring you to adjust your research topic accordingly
This is completely normal! All researchers go through this process.
Need help? If you feel stuck or frustrated, Sacred Heart librarians are here to assist with developing search strategies, identifying relevant databases, and refining your approach.
Ready to practice your search skills?
Click this link to open the guided practice activity, where you will:
Apply AND, OR, and NOT
Use database search filters
Use quotation marks for exact phrases
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