This document provides an overview of searching library databases. It outlines the different types of materials that can be searched like books, periodicals, and gray literature. It also describes where to search for these materials, such as library catalogs, databases, and Google. Finally, it covers basic Boolean logic operators like AND, OR, and NOT that can be used to combine or exclude search terms as well as truncation to search for word roots.

1. Library Database Searching
Linda Neyer
Feb. 2013

2. What are you looking for?
Books Periodicals Gray Lit
(monographs) (serials) (gov
docs,etc.)
General Interest Special Interest
(e.g. Newspapers, (Subject or Discipline
Magazines) Specific)
Trade Publ. Scholarly Publ.
NOTE: -news -peer-reviewed, refereed
-secondary -primary research
Format may (although also contains
be print OR secondary)
electronic -also called ‘academic’
journals

3. Where can you search for it?
Books Catalogs, Google Books, Library
Databases
Periodicals Library Databases,
Google Scholar
Gray Lit Catalogs, Library Databases

5. Boolean logic
A search for ‘rock AND roll’ will
locate all records containing
both the word "rock" and the
word "roll.” (same as ‘all’)
A search for ‘rock OR roll’
will locate all records
containing either the word
"rock" or the word "roll" -- not
necessarily both. (same as
‘any’)
A search for rock
NOT roll will locate
records containing
the word "rock" but
NOT the word "roll" .

6. Truncation
To find words that have the
same root or ‘trunk’, use
truncation.
For example, truncate the root
adolesc* to retrieve:
adolescent
adolescents
adolescence, etc.

7. Questions?