Develop a Search Strategy

• Clearly state your research topic

• Identify each specific concept                                       

• Plan your combination of terms using the Boolean operators AND, OR or NOT

• Decide which database(s) to use to begin your search

1 - Truncation or Wild Card
   
Use the asterisk or star (*) as a wildcard to find alternative word endings. For example, type "nurs*" to find articles containing the words nurse, nurses or nursing.

2 - Narrow or broaden a search by using Boolean Operators: AND, OR, NOT

An interactive tool for visualizing the effects of Boolean operators on keyword searches.