Select the appropriate database.
- The databases listed above will most likely be your best bets.
- No one database covers all of the literature, so search more than one database to be thorough.
Choose your search terms carefully.
- If a search for "cancer” yields too few or too many hits, think of similar terms such as "neoplasm” or "oncology”.
- Keyword searches can often lead to an overwhelming number of hits. Try limiting your search by using Subject or Descriptor searches.
- If the database has a thesaurus, use it to determine the precise term used by that particular database.
- Sometimes it helps to limit the keyword search to the title of the article instead of the whole article.
- Use Boolean operators such as AND, OR, and NOT to limit or expand your search.
- Use truncation to expand your search. For instance, ecolog* will return results for ecology, ecological, and ecologist.
I found an article I want, but it isn't full text. Now what do I do?
- Use Clink to determine if Clark has access to the journal.
- If Clark does not have access, you can order the article through Interlibrary Loan.
- Email me or stop by the Science Library if you need any help with your searches.
