Database Searching Tips

• Provides scholarly materials in the social sciences and science.
• Allows simultaneous searching of several databases.
• Partial list of databases included.

• # replaces zero or more characters within or at the end of a word, e.g., colo#r will find color or colour.
• ? replaces a single character. Use multiple question marks to replace specified number of characters, e.g., psych????y will find psychiatry or psychology but not psychometrically.
• * replaces one or more characters at the end of a word. It can also be used to replace an entire word, e.g., a midsummer * dream will return a midsummer night’s dream.

• N# finds the words if they are within # words of each other in any order, e.g., tax n5 reform will find tax reform as well as reform of income tax laws
• W# finds the words if they are within # words of each other and in the order typed, e.g., tax W8 reform will find tax reform but not reform of income tax laws

Varies depending on database. Generally:

• Full text
• Peer reviewed
• Publication date
• Cover story
• Number of pages
• Document type
• Language

1. Select Search History/Alerts.
2. Log in or register if it is your first time using this function.
3. Customize as you wish.
4. Save the changes.

Much full text available. To find sources that aren’t full-text, select Find it@Tufts.