Databases

Databases offer some advanced functionality that can dramatically improve the quality of your search. The information below is a summary of some common features of databases, but how they work can differ and not all databases support all techniques. Please contact the library if you have any questions about database features and how they work. 

Proximity Operators

Proximity or adjacency operators allow you to locate one word within a determined distance from another. Words that are close to each other are more likely to be related than those that are further apart. Using proximity operators will limit your search returning a smaller, group of results. Proximity operators differ between databases. Check the database help screens to find out which operators are appropriate to the database you are using.

Field searching

Most databases allow you to search within specific parts of the record, such as the title, abstract, or authors. These are called fields, and each database has slightly different ones as well as different codes to add to the search terms that indicate the field. 

Using subject field searching with subject headings [link to Finding search terms] can find highly relevant results. Likewise, searching for keywords and phrases in the title and abstract fields can help find relevant papers that may not have subject headings assigned.

By default, most databases will return results where your search terms appear anywhere in the record - this is why you sometimes get seemingly random results even with a carefully crafted search query! Specifying which fields to search can help unearth a small set of key results on your topic.

You can apply field codes using the drop down menu next to each search line, or manually type in the appropriate database specific codes. It is usually easier to use the drop down menu as adding them manually means you need to remember the exact code for each database. See the database help guide if you would like to know more about field codes.