Fleming College Library

1. Troubleshooting your Search Strategy
too FEW articles
too MANY articles
mostly OFF-TOPIC articles
need more Canadian content

2. too FEW articles
Check for typos and spelling. Consider alternate spellings (US vs. UK)
Remove long phrases and stop words
Make sure you're using a database that is likely to include information on your topic
Try using other synonyms and alternate words joined by the Boolean Operator 'OR'
(e.g. aboriginal or indigenous or First Nations)
If you have found at least one good article: look at Subject Headings and the
references
 or use the 'Find citing' or 'Find related' buttons when available in the database

3. too MANY articles
Add another concept to your searching using the Boolean operator ‘AND’
Refine your Results (e.g. Peer Reviewed, Date of Publication, Subject, etc.)
Try Keyword searching just in the Abstract or Title field (not recommended for all
searches)
Use an individual database that is subject specific
Use quotation marks to keep words together as a phrase
 e.g. “attachment theory”

4. mostly off-topic articles
Are you using the language of the field? – substitute synonyms
Use quotation marks to keep words together as a phrase
 e.g. “Great Lakes”
Find one good article and click on a relevant subject heading, then add a keyword to search within results
Try keyword searching just in the Abstract or Title field (not recommended for all searches)
Use an individual database that is subject specific
If your irrelevant hits are related from certain usage of a keyword, use the Boolean operator ‘NOT’ to filter
them out
 e.g. cloning NOT humans

5. Canadian Content
Refine results by Geography (also look for province and city tags)
not for newspapers
Use Canad* as a keyword
Use a Canadian database
Use Publication limiter and select Canadian publications
 (eg. specific newspapers)
Use Electronic Journal Search to search individual Canadian publications

6. Library Staff are Here to Help!
Drop-in to the Library any time
Make a Library Mentor appointment
Call or email us from off-campus