AND

• Finds sources containing two or more ideas.
• The database will only retrieve items containing both words.
• AND narrows your search.
• You can use AND many times in one search.
• Example: internet AND vote

OR

• Use OR when searching for synonyms.
• OR broadens your search.
• OR tells the database that the words can be used interchangeably, so it will retrieve items about one or both words.
• You can use OR many times in one search.
• Example: internet OR web OR online

AND and OR

Make a complex search using both AND and OR by using parentheses around OR synonyms.Example:
vot* AND (internet OR web OR online)

*
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!

• Common symbols used to replace any number of letters at the ends of words.
• Helps find singulars, plurals, and variant endings of words.
• Check the database's help pages to see which truncation symbol is used in that particular database.
• Example: vot* finds vote, votes, voter, voting
• Example: communit* finds community and communities

limits vary

Most databases let you limit search results. Some limits include language, date of publication, publication type, etc.

""

• Enclose phrases in quotation marks when searching the Web or most databases.
• Phrase searching across databases varies. Check the help screens for each database.
• Example: "cell phone"
• Example: "digital cable"