Search Commands

Search commands (or search operators) are ways for you to search more efficiently and precisely. Databases can differ in their search commands, but some are similar to those used in advanced Google searches. You may already know of one useful search command—using quotation marks to search for an exact term (EXAMPLE: typing "sleep apnea" will search sleep apnea as a phrase). But there are more!

Boolean operators are commonly used. Here is a video on how to use AND, OR, and NOT in a database.

Video was created by Lincoln Memorial University Libraries.  The video is closed captioned and a transcript is available on YouTube.

And here is a video about two other helpful search commands--wild cards and truncation.

Video was created by Oklahoma City Community College.  The video is closed captioned and a transcript is available on YouTube.

Now let's look at what to do once you find an article from a database.