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SW 640: Search Tips

A guide to library resources and research tips for Social Work 640 - "Current Diagnostic Trends:Integrating the DSM-5 with Strengths Perspective"
  • URL: https://library.park.edu/sw640a

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Search Tips

Need help Searching? Check out these Search Tips!

These tips pertain to many library databases including the "Advanced Search" screen of Pirate Search.

Boolean Operators (AND / OR)

  AND OR
How it works: Search results contain both Term #1 and Term #2 Search results contain either Term #1 or Term #2 (or both)
Effects on search results: Narrows /
Fewer results		 Broadens /
More results
Examples with diagrams:

Peas AND Carrots

Results = the middle area overlapped by both circles
AND diagram

Peas OR Carrots

Results = the entire area
of both circles
OR

 

Asterisks and Quotation Marks

Using an asterisk wildcard (*) at the end of a partial word will broaden search results by including multiple word endings.

When searching for a specific phrase (two or more words together), adding quotation marks around that phrase will typically narrow your search results.

For example:

  • Using child* will search for all variations of the word child, including children, children's, or childhood.
  • A search on "sexual strategies theory" -- with the quotation marks included -- will retrieve only those records containing these three words together in this exact order.

Building a Better Search

Identifying the major concepts and similar terms (synonyms) for your research topic...

Example topic: "The effects of media violence on children"

  Original Term   Synonym #1   Synonym #2
  Media OR Television OR Movies
AND Violence OR Aggression    
AND Children OR Youth OR Adolescents

 

...can help you construct a better search query, which yields better search results!

EBSCO Advanced Search screenshot

Subjects: Social Work
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