Keyword Searching
Use the Search Generator from Northwest Missouri State University to help you create a keyword search. ________________________
Using AND/OR/NOT (Boolean Search Operators)
AND |
Use AND to focus search and combine different aspects of your topic. Example: vegetarianism and environment |
OR |
Use OR to expand your search and find synonyms/related terms. Example: global warming or climate change |
NOT |
Use NOT to exclude a word or phrase from your search Example: emissions trading not United States |
Additional Search Tips
|
"Phrase search" - Use quotation marks (" ") to search for a particular phrase. Example: "greenhouse gas emissions" |
|
Truncation * - Use an asterisk to find variations of a word. Put an asterisk following the root of the word to find all variations of that word, including singular and plural. Example: environment* (finds environments, environmental, environmentalist, etc.) |
|
(Grouping/Nesting Keywords) - Use parentheses ( ) as a way to group all your search terms together. Example: (climate change or global warming) and population growth |
Keyword Thesaurus
Use all variations of a keyword.
Words change over time. Today we say Civil War but, in the past, it has been called the
- American Civil War
- War between the States
- War of Secession
- War of the Rebellion
If you search only the term Civil War, you'll miss valuable documents written during a different era.
The Library of Congress Authorities and Vocabularies thesaurus will help you find variations of keywords and subject headings.
Search Strategies
| Search Goal | How To | Example |
| find a phrase |
Place quotation marks around a group of words |
"secondary education" |
|
broaden a
keyword
search
|
Use an asterisk (*) at the
end of a word to search for variations of a word
at one time
|
educat* searches for educate, educating, education, etc.
|
|
search for
multiple
keywords
|
AND searches for items that contain both keywords
OR searches for items that have at least one of the keywords |
educat* AND secondary retrieves documents that have both words
educat* OR secondary pulls items with either word |
|
stop a keyword
from showing
up in results
|
NOT excludes items with a specific keyword |
educat* NOT secondary means that any items with the word secondary will not show up in the search results |
|
look for words near one
another
|
use "near" in between keywords |
educat* "near" secondary |