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Finding Information: Step Two

Refine Your Topic: How You Use Your Search Terms Really Does Matter

  • Do you have any terms that have different grammatical forms? How about singular versus plural? You can search relatively easily for variations by truncating, wildcarding or stemming. First identify the forms of the word, then think of it as lowest common denominator for words. Typically the ? or * symbol will be used. We'll use * for our examples -- look in the help section of the specific electronic database you are using to see how to do it in that database.

    Think of different forms of a word:
    • manage, management, manager, managerial, manages -- all have manage in common -- try manage*
    • child, children, child's -- try child*
    • compute, computes, computer, computation, computational -- try comput*
    How about representing alternate spellings:
    • women, woman -- try wom*n
    • macdonald, mcdonald -- try m*cdonald
    • color, colour -- try colo*r
    BUT, you can not begin with a symbol!
    • *male does not work for male or female!
  • Do any of your search terms have alternate spellings (also sometimes called "British-isms"). Some of the most common spelling differences are:

    • using "ae" instead of "e" (encyclopaedia vs. encyclopedia, orthopaedic vs. orthopedic, archaeology vs. archeology)
    • using "-ise" instead of "-ize" (memorialise vs. memorialize)
    • using "s" instead of "c" (practise vs. practice)
    • using "h" instead of "j" (marihuana vs. marijuana)
    • using "gh" instead of "g" (yoghurt vs. yogurt)
    • using "-me" instead of "-m" (programme vs. program)
    • using "ho" instead of "h" (diarrhoea vs. diarrhea)
    • using "re" instead of "er" (theatre vs. theater)
    • using "ph" instead of "f" (sulphur vs. sulfur)
    • using "ou" instead of "o" (flavour vs. flavor, colour vs. color, behaviour vs. behavior)
    • using "que" instead of "k" (cheque vs. check, banque vs. bank)
    • using "-ux" instead of "u" (bureaux vs. bureau)
    • using "oe" instead of "e" (oesophagus vs. esophagus, oestrogen vs. estrogen)
    • alternate spellings (soy vs. soya -- soybean vs. soyabean)
  • To take best advantage of an electronic database, use Boolean Logic. You may remember this being drawn as Venn Diagrams in math class. There are three possibilities:

    • AND links together two or more of your concepts. We are used to the idea that and makes something bigger (if you and I go to a movie, it is a bigger group going than if either of us goes alone). Instead, you are requiring each term to be present in your results so, grammatically, it would be "in addition to" because it makes your search set more specific and smaller.
    • OR combines synonyms. We are used to the idea that or makes something smaller (if you or I go to a movie, it is a smaller group going than if both of us go). Instead you are saying that any of the terms is acceptable, so grammatically, it would be "either or" and makes your search set larger and more general.
    • NOT excludes a term. Be very careful using not because it will exclude your term even if it is present in a record that you do want. Sometimes this term is phrased and not.

    Oklahoma AND Tornadoes: Only items that use both terms are retrieved. Oklahoma OR Tornado Alley: Items that use either term are retrieved. Oklahoma NOT Tornadoes: Only items about Oklahoma that don't mention tornadoes are retrieved.

    Click here to go on to the next step in the research process.

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    Last Update: 5 December 2000
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