Developing Effective Search Strategies

you need only current articles

limiting your search by date

you need articles in English

limiting your search by language

you need to retrieve variant endings
[e.g., alcohol, alcoholics, alcoholism]

using a "wild card" truncation symbol

you need to determine appropriate subject headings for a particular database

1. examining several good articles retrieved
2. determine subject headings assigned to them
3. search again on those terms

you need more search terms

• using synonyms
• using more specific terms
• using OR in your search

you have many irrelevant hits

• revising your search terms
• using NOT to eliminate unwanted search terms (but remember that some desired hits may be eliminated as well)