Writing 100 (Fall 2024, Xu)

" "

To search for specific phrases, enclose them in quotation marks. The database will search for those words together in that order.

Examples:

“artificial intelligence”

“robot assisted surgery”

“public health”

“copyright infringement”

AND, OR

Join together search terms in a logical manner.

AND - narrows searches, used to join dissimilar terms
OR - broadens searches, used to join similar terms

Examples:

#1
copyright AND "artificial intelligence"

#2
"artificial intelligence" OR AI

#3
art
AND
"artificial intelligence" OR AI OR robot*
AND
copyright

TRUNCATION

Truncate a word in order to search for different forms of the same word. Many database use the asterisk * as the truncation symbol.

Example:

Truncate the word education robot* to search for robot, robots, robotics, robotic etc.

Add the truncation symbol to the word educat* to search for educate, educates, education, educational, educator, educators etc.