Library Databases and Research Guides: Search Tips

OneSearch

OneSearch combines most of our databases into one search. If you're looking for library books, articles (academic, newspaper, etc.), ebooks, and other types of documents, start with the OneSearch Bar.

Watch this 1-minute OneSearch Video.

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Databases

You can search the databases directly. This is a great option for when you're looking specifically for

• background information, topics, or pro-con articles
• ebooks
• newspapers
• film
• any other type of resource, including academic and newspaper articles

1. Click on one of the database options, and you'll be taken to a guide with those choices.
2. Click on the database you'd like to search.
3. If you're working from home, you'll be prompted to enter your Valley College email address and password.
4. When you get into the database, enter your keywords in the search box.
5. After your results appear, use the menu (usually on the left) to filter by peer-reviewed, type of article, source type, publication date, etc.

Keywords

When you search academic databases, think about keywords that express your topic or ideas related to your topic. Pay attention to terms that you come across during your research. Academic searches generally use keywords instead of phrases ("voting rights and elections and united states," for example, instead of "how do lack of voting rights affect elections")

Make a list of keywords about your topic from

• personal knowledge​
• assignment​
• textbooks​
• lectures​
• library database research​ (articles, ebooks, abstracts, etc.)
• online research

Try different keywords as your search or as you learn more about your topic.

Search Bar

Use 1 or more keywords in the search bar. 

Use AND between search terms to include all the terms. This will retrieve fewer but more focused results.

• voting AND teens

Use OR between search terms to include any of the terms or alternative terms. This will retrieve more results. Use parentheses around the OR words.

• teens OR adolescents
• voting AND (teens OR adolescents)

Use NOT to exclude a term.

• voting AND teens NOT adults

Use quotation marks to search for an exact phrase.

• "voting rights"

Use an asterisk at the end of a root term to search for different endings.

• vot* searches for vote, voting, voter, voters
• nurs* searches for nurse, nurses, and nursing
• vot* AND teens

Try Advanced Search (which appears near the search bars)