Developing Effective Search Strategies
Troubleshooting Your Search Results
Having trouble? The chart below suggests some strategies you might use to modify your search, using the information provided in this module.
Troubleshooting Your Search
The Problem...
You Should Try...
you need only current articles
limiting your search by date
you need articles in English
limiting your search by language
you need to retrieve variant endings
[e.g., alcohol, alcoholics, alcoholism]using a "wild card" truncation symbol
you need to determine appropriate subject headings for a particular database
- examining several good articles retrieved
- determine subject headings assigned to them
- search again on those terms
you need more search terms
- using synonyms
- using more specific terms
- using OR in your search
you have many irrelevant hits
- revising your search terms
- using NOT to eliminate unwanted search terms (but remember that some desired hits may be eliminated as well)
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This document was created by Carol Wright, Associate Librarian at Penn State's University Libraries.
Instructional design assistance provided by Ann Luck, Senior Instructional Designer for Penn State's World Campus.Please send any questions or comments concerning this page to caw4@psu.edu.
Copyright © June 2001, The Pennsylvania State University.
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