Keywords: There are lots of ways to find articles within databases. You can string together keywords to search databases, just as you do with Internet search engines, but when you search a database, you should use the word “and” in between your keywords.
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Example: “african americans” and “achievement gap.”
You can also use the word “or” to broaden your search.
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Example: (“african americans” or hispanics) and “achievement gap.
A good way to explore how to structure keyword searches is to use the NCSU Libraries keyword builder. You can copy and paste your keyword search from the keyword builder into the search box of any database.
Phrases: Just as with most internet search engines, enclosing your phrases in quotes will produce a more efficient result list.
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Example: “african americans” not african americans
Parentheses: Use parentheses when you structure a search with both “and” and “or” commands.
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Example: (“african americans” or hispanics) and “achievement gap.
Truncation: Wild card searching will search for a root word and all variant endings of that word. Most databases use an * for wild card searches.
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Example: education* searches for both education and educational.
Keyword searching is a great way to get started, but there are a few techniques to make the most of a keyword search.
Need Help? On campus or off, Ask a Librarian or contact your Education Liaison.
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