Use Search Tips: Try Synonyms
Databases often use different words than you would use to describe a topic or
article. Using their terminology can help you find additional articles on your topic. Here
are some examples:
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gun control may
be referred to as "hand gun legislation" |
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jet ski may be referred to as "personal watercraft" |
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drug treatment may be referred to as "drug therapy" |
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cell phones may be referred to as"cellular
telephones" |
If you can
figure out the terminology used in the database, you'll obtain better results. To do
this, try locating one good article using your own search terms. Then notice the subject
headings that the database has assigned to this article. These are the search terms you
should use in your next search.
USING TWO SYNONYMS TOGETHER
If you can't find a databases's official terminology for your topic, you'll need to think of your
own synonyms. Rather than conducting three separate searches using three different
synonyms, you can conduct one search using all three terms. Enclose the synonyms in
one set of parentheses. Here are some examples:
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If you're looking for information on cats and vaccinations, you could
try:
(cats or felines)and vaccinations
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If you're looking for information on athletes and grades, you could
try:
athletes and (grades or academic achievement)
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If you're looking for information on diet and body fat, you could
try:
(
diet or eating habits)
and body fat
|
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If you're looking for information on occupation and salary, you could
try:
(
occupation or job or profession) and salary |
Now go to:
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