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Library Research 101: How Do I Search in a Database?

How Do I Search in a Database?

Different databases may look different but they can all be used in similar ways. Go to a database’s Help function for instructions or you can remember to use the helpful hints below:

Click each of the strategies below to see the fields available for searching and for refining your searches.

Keyword searches can be a very effective starting point, but you can use other fields when you are looking for known items.
• Author
• Title
• Subjects
• Journal title
• Standard numbers
• And many more fields, depending on the database.

Refer back to our Develop Keywords section to learn more about this!

Many databases allow searches to be limited by:
• Publisher
• Date
• Full-text
• Source type
• Scholarly journal