Developing Effective Search Strategies

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)