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: electronic AND voting

OR

• Use OR when searching for synonyms.
• OR broadens your search to include synonyms and related words.
• OR tells the database that the words can be used interchangeably, so it will retrieve items containing either word.
• You can use OR many times in one search.
• Example: electronic OR internet OR web

AND and OR

Make a complex search using both AND and OR by using parentheses around OR synonyms. Example:

• (electronic OR internet OR web) AND (vote OR voting)

*

• Common symbol 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, 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 in databases varies. Check the online help for additional information.
• Example: "united states government"
• Example: "online voting"