How to search
- Enter search terms in the Search Term box ❶.
- The default is to search for ALL terms entered -- which is a Boolean AND search. For example, a search on youth violence is the same as youth AND violence.
- For more controlled searching, use parentheses to override WCD's default operator precedence (which is AND, then OR, and then NOT).
- To search for an exact phrase, put quotation marks around your search terms: "youth violence".
- Choose the field(s) you want to search in the Search Index box ➋. When conducting a general search, the keyword field is normally the best one to use. Other fields available from the pull-down menu: Title, Author, Abstract, Subject, and Source Title (=journal title).
- Use the following database-specific truncation and wildcard symbols to make your search more efficient:
| Symbols |
Usage |
Examples |
|
TRUNCATION
*
|
- Add to the end of a word to retrieve variant endings.
- A search returns words with 0 or more characters in place of the truncation symbol.
|
connect* retrieves connect, connection, connectivity, etc.
individual* retrieves individual, individuals, individualism, individuality |
|
WILDCARDS
# and ?
|
- Replace one character in or at the end of a word.
|
photograph# retrieves photograph, photographs (but not photographer)
wom#n retrieves woman, women |
- Replace 0 to 9 unknown characters in a word.
|
lab?r retrieves labor, labour
encyclop?dia retrieves encyclopedia, encyclopaedia |
- Choose the right Boolean operator from the operator box ➌ if you need more search boxes for your search.
Search tools
Within Advanced Search, options to limit your search are available at the bottom of the screen ➍ .
Limiters appear in the following order:
- Only return peer-reviewed articles
- Open Access
- Group related editions (maintain this tick)
- Expand search with related terms
- Format (e.g. book, ebook, article, etc.)
- Publication year
- Library holdings: Libraries Worldwide, Libraries in the Netherlands, Tilburg University library
