Tips on how to search (text version)
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If you are a member we suggest you Sign in. Signing in will allow you to access all the library search tools such as make and manage requests, Save favourites and include searches in your search history and allows you to access online resources.
Using Keywords
Most Searches begin with keywords. The keywords or phrases chosen will determine the success or failure of your search. It is worth taking the time to identify keywords or terms that define your topic. These will then form the basis of your search to see what resources the library has on that topic.
Exact or phrase search
Add quotation marks around a string of words to search them as a phrase.
E.g. “Social Media”
This is useful if you know the title of a book, chapter, journal or article.
Truncation
Adding to or Replacing the end of a keyword with the asterisk (*) broadens your search to include various word endings and spellings.
E.g. colo* will return results that include colour, color, coloration.
Interact* will return results that include interact, interacting, interaction, interactivity.
Boolean operators
Using the words OR, NOT or AND allows you to narrow or broaden your search.
Use OR to help gather synonyms, NOT helps to eliminate, AND to require all keywords.
E.g: nutrition OR diet, nutrition NOT diet, nutrition AND diet