Hints for Improving Your Advanced Search

When creating an Advanced Search, take advantage of the tools available to you:

• Use Clear to clear all of your previously selected options.
• View descriptions of search and limit fields.
• Use the Thesaurus to help identify subject terms.
• Use the Topic Guide to help identify subject terms.
• Focus Your Search by Using Fields
• Use Truncation and Wildcard Characters

Focus your Search by Using Fields

The Advanced Search page gives you a way to quickly focus your search using the fields available in the database(s) you are searching. Simply select an operator, enter your term, and select the desired field from the drop-down menu.

^ Back to top

Focusing Your Search with Truncation and Wildcard Characters

You can focus your search by using truncation and wildcard characters to stand in for letters, adding flexibility and increasing the number of terms to include as matches in your results.

Examples:

If you are searching for historic documents about Lincoln's address at Gettysburg, and you are aware that the spelling has changed over the years for many city names. To find documents, you use the truncation symbol.

Lincoln AND gettysburg*

This will find the alternate spellings of Gettysburg and Gettysburgh.

^ Back to top