Library tutorial for agricultural, animal & veterinary sciences

A search strategy is using the keywords you have chosen, combined with connecting words (Boolean operators).
Other search techniques include phrase searching, using truncation symbols and applying limits.

Boolean searching

Search terms linked with Boolean operators can help to narrow your search, or broaden your search.

AND: each additional word added to your search using the AND command reduces the number of records found

Example: pigs AND temperature

Result: search results will contain both terms pigs and temperature

OR: increases the number of results because a broader range of keywords are searched

Example: temperature OR heat OR cold

Result: search results will contain at least one of the terms temperature or heat or cold

NOT reduces the numher of results by excluding information not required

heart disease NOT human

Result: search results will exclude heart disease in humans

Phrase searching

• To search for phrases, place double quotation marks around two or more words.
• The search will only retrieve those results in which the exact phrase appears.
• For example "integrated pest management" will only retrieve the results in which the terms integrated and pest and management appear next to each other.

Truncation

• The most common truncation symbol is the asterisk *
• For example pig* will retrieve pig, pigs, piglets, piggeries. However it will also retrieve pigeon, pigeonpea, pigment, pigmentation.
• Truncation will increase the number of results.

For more information, see the online Library tutorial Boolean searching and more

Limits

You can limit your search by

• Date
• Type of publication, e.g. scholarly journal
• Field, e.g. a specific field in the record for the resource, such as title field, or subject field.
• Geographic location