EBSCO host WEB CLIENT

Basic Search Modes

Standard Search allows you to create a very broad or very narrow search by using Boolean operators (AND, OR and NOT) to string or combine search terms together.

Ø The AND operator combines search terms so that each result contains all of the terms. For example, type electronic and resources to nd articles that contain both terms.

Ø The OR operator combines search terms so that each result contains at least one of the terms. For example, type college or university to nd articles that contain either term.

Ø The NOT operator excludes terms so that each result does not contain any of the terms that follow the NOT operator. For example, type computers not apple to nd articles that contain the term “computers” but not the term “apple”.

All Words (AND) automatically implies the Boolean operator of AND between each term.

Any Words (OR) allows you to enter a phrase or sentence that describes what you are looking for. Note that Full Text is also searched when available. Articles retrieved contain one or more of your search terms. Your search results are returned in order of relevance. For example, type the best stock options this year to nd articles that contain “best,” “stock,” “options,” “year.” Words such as “this” and “the” are excluded from the search.

Exact Phrase allows you to enter the word or phrase you want to nd. Articles are retrieved if all of the words are present exactly as you entered them. Please note that stop words are ignored.

Creating a Basic Search

1. On the Search Screen, enter your search terms in the box labeled: “Find:”

2. Select from available search options to adjust the focus of your search. Select limiter options to narrow your search or select expander options to broaden your search (Note: expanders are not available with the Any Words search mode).

Below are some common options:

Ø Full Text – limits search results to full text articles

Ø Magazine/Journal/Publication – limits search results to articles from a specic title

Ø Also search for related words – expands search results to include synonyms and plurals of your term(s)

Ø Also search within full text of the articles – expands search results by nding your term(s) within the full text of the articles

3. Click the Search Button to begin searching.

Searching Techniques

Wildcard (?) and Truncation (*) Use the wildcard and truncation symbols to create searches where there are unknown
characters, multiple spellings or various endings.

Ø The wildcard is represented by a question mark (?). To use the wildcard, enter your search terms and replace each unknown character with a ?. EBSCOhost will nd all instances of that word with the ? replaced by a letter. For example, type ne?t to nd results containing neat, nest or next. EBSCOhost does not nd net because the wildcard replaces a single character.

Ø Truncation is represented by an asterisk (*). To use truncation, enter the root of a search term and replace the ending with an *. EBSCOhost will nd all forms of that word. For example, type comput* to nd the words computer or computing.

Searching by proximity is a way of searching for two or more words that appear a specic number of words apart in the article(s). The proximity operators must contain a letter (N or W) and a numeric value to specify the number of words that may appear between the terms when searched. The proximity operator is placed between the words which are to be searched in proximity, as follows:

Ø Near Operator (N) In the following example, “N5” will nd the words if they are within ve words of one another regardless of the order in which they appear. For example, type tax N5 reform to nd results that would match “tax reform” as well as “reform of the tax code”.

Ø Within Operator (W) In the following example, “W8” will nd the words if they are within eight words of one another and in the order in which you entered them. For example, type tax W8 reform to nd results that would match “tax reform” but would not match “reform of the tax code”.

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