Dissecting a Database: Teaching Yourself How to Search

How can you figure out the best way to search a new or unfamiliar journal database? Although many databases look different at first, most have similar features. Understanding these basic features will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your searching. It will save you time and also will improve the accuracy and comprehensiveness of your searches. What you learn with one database can be applied in most cases to other databases that you encounter. Below is a list of things to consider about any database and some tips on how to determine the specific features of the databases you wish to use.

• What is in the database?
• What does it search?
• How does it search?
  
  • Phrase versus Word searching
  • Truncation
  • Controlled vocabulary/thesaurus searching
• What do I do if I get too many results?
  
  • Are there any limit options?
  • Are any special modifiers available?
  • Can you combine searches or add more concepts to your original search?
• What do I do if I get too few results?
  
  • Eliminate concepts
  • Use truncation
  • Related articles
  • Cited reference search
• How do I locate material from my search?
• How do I print, e mail or download my results?
• Some Final Tips
  
  • Read the screen
  • Look for help

For information about features found in databases widely used in the health and life sciences, see Comparing Database Features.

Last updated: April 26, 2006